Pheidole sensitiva

In Costa Rica, Longino (1997) found the species in litter and recruiting to baits on the floor of rainforests. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known from the type series from Rio de Janeiro, a series from near San Juan de Arama, Meta, Colombia, and, according to Longino (1997), the Atlantic and Pacific slopes of Costa Rica to 700 m. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama.

Nomenclature

 *  sensitiva. Pheidole sensitiva Borgmeier, 1959a: 316, figs. 3-9 (s.w.) BRAZIL. See also: Wilson, 2003: 231.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A small, light reddish brown member of the diligens group with moderately abundant to dense, very long, erect to semierect, often strongly curved hairs.

Major: sculpturing of head consists entirely of carinulae, which are limited to the anterior third of the head capsule and absent from the frontal lobes; promesonotal profile 3-lobed; pronotal humerus rounded in dorsal-oblique view; pilosity of gaster shorter and much denser than on the rest of the body.

Minor: humerus rounded and pronotum smooth and shiny.

Similar to Pheidole longiseta, Pheidole pubiventris and Pheidole variegata (= Pheidole pubiventris''), differing in many details of body form and sculpturing, as shown.

See also Pheidole blumenauensis, Pheidole rochai, Pheidole seeldrayersi and Pheidole vafra.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 0.94, SL 0.64, EL 0.16, PW 0.48. Paratype minor: HW 0.58, HL 0.64, SL 0.76, EL 0.14, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: light reddish brown; gaster a shade darker; appendages yellowish brown. Minor: light brown, gaster a shade darker and appendages a shade lighter than head and mesosoma.



'''Figure. Upper: holotype, major (tibia shown next to full-face view of head). Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
BRAZIL: Jacarepaguá (Taquera), Rio de Janeiro. - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
L sensitiva, possibly referring to the sensory function of the long body hairs. (Wilson 2003)