Pheidole nitidula

Little is known about the biology of Pheidole nitidula.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
I have verified material from Buenos Aires, Córdova, Misiones, and Salta in Argentina, and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Kempf (1972b) also reports it from Rio de Janeiro. (Wilson 2003)

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

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  nitidula. Pheidole triconstricta var. nitidula Emery, 1888e: 693 (s.w.) ARGENTINA.
 * Santschi, 1929d: 281 (q.m.).
 * Raised to species: Emery, 1906c: 154.
 * Senior synonym of silvicola and material of the unavailable names labrata, vicina referred here: Wilson, 2003: 328.
 * silvicola. Pheidole strobeli subsp. silvicola Borgmeier, 1927b: 61 (s.w.) BRAZIL.
 * [Also described as new by Borgmeier, 1928a: 39.]
 * Subspecies of nitidula: Santschi, 1929d: 283.
 * Junior synonym of nitidula: Wilson, 2003: 328;

Type Material
ARGENTINA: La Plata, Buenos Aires, col. C. Spegazzini. - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Description
From Wilson (2003): A member of the fallax group, similar to Pheidole bergi, Pheidole cordiceps, Pheidole dione, Pheidole eidmanni and Pheidole pampana of southern South America, differing as follows.

Major: pilosity sparse; rugoreticulum on each side of head extends between eye and antennal fossa and anteriorly almost to border of head; vertex smooth; carinulae originating on frontal lobes not quite reaching midway between level of eyes and level of occiput; pronotal dorsum in dorsal-oblique view weakly bilobous; metanotal convexity in side view symmetrical; carinulae absent from sides of propodeum; postpetiole from above symmetrical.

Minor: pilosity sparse; pronotum in dorsal-oblique view feebly bilobate; occiput in frontal view feebly convex, nearly flat, lacking nuchal collar.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.30, HL 1.32, SL 0.84, EL 0.22, PW 0.66. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.68, HL 0.74, SL 0.82, EL 0.18, PW 0.44.

COLOR Major: concolorous reddish brown.

Minor: concolorous plain medium brown.



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

Etymology
L nitidula, little shining one. (Wilson 2003)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
 * Bruch C. 1914. Catálogo sistemático de los formícidos argentinos. Revista del Museo de La Plata 19: 211-234.
 * Cuezzo, F. 1998. Formicidae. Chapter 42 in Morrone J.J., and S. Coscaron (dirs) Biodiversidad de artropodos argentinos: una perspectiva biotaxonomica Ediciones Sur, La Plata. Pages 452-462.
 * Emery C. 1906. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. XXVI. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 37: 107-194.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Kusnezov N. 1952. El género Pheidole en la Argentina (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Acta Zoologica Lilloana 12: 5-88.
 * Kusnezov N. 1978. Hormigas argentinas: clave para su identificación. Miscelánea. Instituto Miguel Lillo 61:1-147 + 28 pl.
 * Santschi F. 1929. Nouvelles fourmis de la République Argentine et du Brésil. Anales de la Sociedad Cientifica Argentina. 107: 273-316.
 * Vittar, F. 2008. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la Mesopotamia Argentina. INSUGEO Miscelania 17(2):447-466
 * Vittar, F., and F. Cuezzo. "Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina." Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina (versión On-line ISSN 1851-7471) 67, no. 1-2 (2008).
 * Zolessi L. C. de, Y. P. Abenante, and M. E. de Philippi. 1988. Lista sistematica de las especies de Formicidos del Uruguay. Comun. Zool. Mus. Hist. Nat. Montev. 11: 1-9.
 * Zolessi L. C. de; Y. P. de Abenante, and M. E. Philippi. 1989. Catálogo sistemático de las especies de Formícidos del Uruguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Montevideo: ORCYT Unesco, 40 + ix pp.
 * de Zolessi, L.C., Y.P. de Abenante and M.E. Philippi. 1987. Lista sistemática de las especies de formícidos del Uruguay. Comunicaciones Zoologicas del Museo de Historia Natural de Montevideo 11(165):1-9
 * de Zolessi, L.C., Y.P. de Abenante and M.E. Phillipi. 1989. Catalago Systematico de las Especies de Formicidos del Uruguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Oficina Regional de Ciencia y Technologia de la Unesco para America Latina y el Caribe- ORCYT. Montevideo, Uruguay