Pheidole lamancha

This species occurs in lowland tropical dry forest. So far it is only known from La Mancha Biological Station, where it is common at ground baits and occasional in Winkler samples of sifted litter and rotten wood.

Identification
Minor: face foveolate, with variably developed narrow smooth region on medial frons; head rounded behind; promesonotal groove impressed; entire mesosoma uniformly foveolate; propodeal spines short, about one fifth length of posterior face of propodeum; first gastral tergite faintly foveolate on anterior one quarter, rest smooth and shining; abundant short erect setae on mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gastral dorsum; color dark brown.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth widely spaced, acicular; scape base subterete, wider at apex than at base; face with mixed foveolation, reticulate rugae throughout, becoming weaker posteriorly, and with irregular shiny patches on medial frons; propodeal spines about one fifth length of posterior face of propodeum; first gastral tergite faintly foveolae on anterior fourth, rest smooth and shiny; sides of head with abundant erect setae; mesosomal dorsum and tibiae with abundant erect setae; first gastral tergite mostly covered with abundant, fully appressed, short pubescence, with cluster of erect setae near postpetiolar insertion; head light red brown with medial brown spot on frons, contrasting with darker brown mesosoma and gaster.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.53, HL 0.59, SL 0.72, EL 0.14, WL 0.77, PSL 0.03, PTW 0.11, PPW 0.14, CI 90, SI 134, PSLI 6, PPI 133 (n=1).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.00, HL 1.00, SL 0.74, EL 0.18, WL 1.00, PSL 0.04, PTW 0.19, PPW 0.29, CI 101, SI 73, PSLI 4, PPI 151 (n=1).

This species has a distinctive pilosity pattern shared with Pheidole acamata, Pheidole potosiana, and Pheidole psilogaster. On the major worker, the gaster is covered with a plush layer of short, subdecumbent pubescence and any longer erect setae are absent or restricted to a few near the postpetiolar insertion. This contrasts with the rest of the body, which has a more "normal" condition, with abundant long suberect setae on the tibiae and mesosomal dorsum. Pheidole acamata and P. lamancha have minor workers with foveolate face; the others have smooth shiny faces. The major worker of P. acamata has much weaker and more shining face sculpture compared to P. lamancha, and the color is yellow vs. dark brown.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Nomenclature

 *  lamancha. Pheidole lamancha Longino, 2019: 42, fig. 30 (w.) MEXICO.

Type Material

 * HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Mexico, Veracruz: Est. Biol. La Mancha, 19.59741 -96.37818 ±60 m, 20 m, 16-Jul-2016, tropical dry forest, at bait (ADMAC, Ba-F-10-1-01-01) [UNAM, unique specimen identifier CASENT0641071].
 * PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [CAS, MCZC, USNM, UNAM]; same data except Ba-F-10-1-01-07 [DZUP, JTLC].

Etymology
From the type locality.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Longino J. T. 2019. Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American wet forest. Zootaxa 4599: 1-126