Pheidole rectisentis

This species is only known from type specimens. The type colony was found in forest, nesting in a rotting twig in leaf litter in a tree crotch about one meter from the ground. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua.

Nomenclature

 *  rectisentis. Pheidole rectisentis Wilson, 2003: 494, figs. (s.w.) NICARAGUA.

Description
DIAGNOSIS Similar to Pheidole bilimeki, Pheidole floridana, Pheidole hazenae, Pheidole rectiluma, Pheidole rectispina, Pheidole rectitrudis, Pheidole sospes and Pheidole stomachosa, differing as follows.

Major: mostly blackish brown, with bicolored head; from margins of dorsal head surface to space between eyes and antennal fossae rugoreticulate, as well as lateral margins of frontal lobes; all of central third of head, including much of the vertex and occiput, solely foveolate; all of head and mesosoma overall foveolate; in dorsal-oblique view humerus subangulate; propodeal spines robust and nearly vertical to propodeal basal face in side view; postpetiole from above conulate.

Minor: eyes set well forward on head; propodeal spines robust, nearly vertical to propodeal basal face; almost all of head and all of mesosoma foveolate and opaque.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.90, HL 0.98, SL 0.50, EL 0.12, PW 0.48. Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.58, SL 0.46, EL 0.06, PW 0.34.

COLOR Major: head bicolored, with surface anterior to eye level medium reddish brown and rest blackish brown; also sides of pronotum and petiole medium reddish brown; and rest of body blackish brown; appendages light reddish brown.

Minor: body blackish brown, appendages brownish yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
NICARAGUA: Hotel Selva Negra, 139 km north of Matagalpa, 1200 m, col. Charles Kugler and J. Hahn.

Etymology
L rectisentis, upright thorn, alluding to the strong, erect propodeal spines.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * Longino J. T. L., and M. G. Branstetter. 2018. The truncated bell: an enigmatic but pervasive elevational diversity pattern in Middle American ants. Ecography 41: 1-12.
 * Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press