Pheidole vafella

Nothing is known about the biology of vafella.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known only from the two localities in Bolivia listed in the figure caption. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Bolivia.

Nomenclature

 *  vafella. Pheidole vafella Wheeler, W.M. 1925a: 15 (s.w.) BOLIVIA. See also: Wilson, 2003: 243.

Description
From Wilson (2003): The major and minor are from different localities, as noted in the figure caption. One or more majors from the type locality may be in the Royal Museum of Stockholm and were not seen by me, hence the association of the two castes I have made here is based on Wheeler’s judgment and what does appear to correspond between them in habitus, sculpturing, and pilosity.

P. vafella is somewhat similar to Pheidole crozieri and Pheidole williamsi, differing as follows.

Major: scapes just reach occipital lobes, head heart-shaped in full-face view; propodeal spines reduced to a right angle in side view; propodeal dorsum transversely carinulate; densely covered with short, erect to suberect hairs.

Minor: propodeal spine reduced to denticle; petiolar node low.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Syntype major (Mojo, Bolivia): HW 1.04, HL 1.08, SL 0.80, EL 0.16, PW 0.56. Syntype minor (Yanalomas, Bolivia): HW 0.56, HL 0.68, SL 0.84, EL 0.14, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major: concolorous dark yellow.

Minor: concolorous brownish yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: syntype, major (Mojo, Potosi, Bolivia, not the type locality and not certainly associated with the minor; see Description). Lower: syntype, minor (from type locality: Yanalomas, Bolivia). Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
Yanalomas, Bolivia. and - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
L vafella, little cunning one. (Wilson 2003)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Kusnezov N. 1953. La fauna mirmecológica de Bolivia. Folia Universitaria. Cochabamba 6: 211-229.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1925. Neotropical ants in the collections of the Royal Museum of Stockholm. Arkiv för Zoologi 17A(8): 1-55.