Pheidole claviscapa

The preferred habitat is evidently cerrado, the tropical savanna of central South America. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
From Wilson (2003): Recorded from Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Ceará by Kempf (1972b). I have seen in addition a series from Santa Cruz, eastern Bolivia, col. P. S. Ward.

This taxon was described from Brazil.

Description
From Wilson (2003): One of the giant Neotropical species, comparable in size to Pheidole cephalica and Pheidole fimbriata of the tristis group (q.v.).

Major: very large, Head Width about 2.1 mm; antennal scape broadly swollen and flattened at base; space between eye and antennal fossa rugoreticulate; entire median strip of gaster shagreened.

Minor: head in full-face view elliptical in outline, with nuchal crest; entire head, except frontal triangle, and mesosoma and waist foveolate and opaque; anterior half of first gastral tergite shagreened.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Major (Anápolis, Brazil): HW 2.10, HL 2.24, SL 1.20, EL 0.26, PW 1.04. Minor (Anápolis, Brazil): HW 0.80, HL 1.04, SL 1.36, EL 0.20, PW 0.62.

COLOR Major and minor: reddish yellow (“orange”) or reddish brown.



'''Figure. Upper: major; the antennal scape viewed edge-on is depicted next to the frontal view of the head; the upper of the two dorsal-oblique views is of a syntype major. Lower: minor. BRAZIL: Anápolis, Goiás, col. W. Kempf. Compared with syntypes. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
Brazil. Pirapora, Minas Gerais. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
L Gr claviscapa, “club stem,” referring to the swollen and somewhat flattened base of the antennal scape. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Kempf, W. W. 1964e. Miscellaneous studies on Neotropical ants. III. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Stud. Entomol. 7: 45–71.

Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da região Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3–344.

Santschi, F. 1925d. Nouveaux Formicides brésiliens et autres. Bull. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 65: 221–247.

Text and images from this publication used by permission of the author.