Pheidole polita

At Cuzco Amazónico, Peru, Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin found a dense population of this species in a large clearing filled with logging detritus. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Rio Beni, Bolivia (polita types); Rio Madeira, Rondônia, Brazil (wheeleri types); and Cuzco Amazónico, near Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Brazil, Peru.

Nomenclature

 *  polita. Pheidole fabricator var. polita Emery, 1894c: 155 (s.w.) BOLIVIA. Raised to species and senior synonym of wheeleri: Wilson, 2003: 734.
 * wheeleri. Pheidole (Pheidole) wheeleri Mann, 1916: 431, pl. 3, fig. 23 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of polita: Wilson, 2003: 734.

Description
DIAGNOSIS From Wilson (2003): A shiny, reddish or brownish yellow member of the tristis group, somewhat similar to Pheidole balzani, Pheidole fabricator, Pheidole nigella and Pheidole tristis but immediately distinguishable from these and other species in the group by the following traits.

Major and minor: body mostly smooth and shiny, reddish brown; humeri very prominently angulate, in major seen from above extending well beyond the lower sides of the pronotum; hind tibiae greatly swollen.

Major: occipital border in full-face view very broadly and moderately concave.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Major (polita lectotype): HW 1.20, HL 1.20, SL 0.62, EL 0.12, PW 0.62. Minor (polita paralectotype): HW 0.64, HL 0.66, SL 0.60, EL 0.08, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major (polita lectotype): body brownish yellow, appendages dark yellow (wheeleri types are medium to light reddish brown, appendages a lighter shade of reddish brown).

Minor: concolorous yellowish brown (wheeleri types have body medium reddish brown, appendages yellowish to reddish brown.



'''Figure. Upper: major (syntype of synonymous wheeleri). Lower: minor (syntype of synonymous wheeleri). Hind tibia shown in both castes. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
Rio Beni, Bolivia, Luigi Balzan. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
L polita, smooth, polished. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Emery, C. 1894. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica, VI–XVI. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 26: 137–241.

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