Pheidole amata

Forel discovered the type colony of amata in 1896 at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, nesting in the soil of virgin rainforest. (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: Colombia.

Nomenclature

 *  amata. Pheidole amata Forel, 1901e: 360 (s.w.) COLOMBIA. See also: Wilson, 2003: 651.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS Similar in various traits to Pheidole ambigua, Pheidole celaena, Pheidole fera, Pheidole germaini, Pheidole peruviana, Pheidole rutilana, Pheidole schwarzmaieri, Pheidole superba and Pheidole vomer, differing as follows.

Major: mostly reddish yellow; lower pronotal margin, upper half of mesopleuron, and sides of propodeum bearing curved carinulae, those on mesopleuron S-shaped; eye bean-shaped, with concave ventral border; clypeus prominent and long in side view but lacking any process; head subrectangular; occipital cleft deep; humerus in dorsal-oblique view prominent, subangulate; petiolar node thin in side view, and broad, elliptical, and marginally angular seen from above.

Minor: propodeal spine absent; occiput narrowed to a neck with nuchal collar; posterior half of mesonotum carinulate.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.54, HL 1.88, SL 0.82, EL 0.28, PW 0.80. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.56, HL 0.74, SL 0.86, EL 0.10, PW 0040.

COLOR Major: body reddish yellow except for gaster; which is plain medium brown; appendages reddish yellow. Minor: body medium brown, verging to yellow at level of clypeus; appendages medium yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
COLOMBIA: Ouriheka, near Rio Frio, Magdalena, col. Auguste Forel. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
L amata, loved passionately, reference unknown. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Forel, A. 1901. Variétés myrmécologiques. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 45: 334–382.

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