Pheidole laevivertex

Nothing is known about the biology of laevivertex.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known only from Aguascalientes and Morelos, Mexico. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Mexico.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A member of the fallax group similar in various characters to Pheidole chiapasana, Pheidole dentata, Pheidole humeridens, Pheidole industa, Pheidole madrensis, Pheidole maja and Pheidole tetroides, and distinguished as follows.

Major: rugoreticulum confined to a small patch just posterior to the circular carinulae of the antennal fossae; carinulae of head reaching slightly posterior to midway between the eyes and occiput; anterior half of pronotal dorsum and all of propodeal dorsum transversely carinulate; pronotal profile in dorsal-oblique view bilobous; postpetiole from above oval, and foveolate.

Minor: all of head, mesosoma, and waist foveolate and opaque; anterior strip of first gastral tergite shagreened; occiput in frontal view concave.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Syntype major: HW 1.14, HL 1.22, SL 0.82, EL 0.20, PW 0.60. Syntype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.70, SL 0.78, EL 0.14, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major: concolorous medium reddish brown.

Minor: body and scapes dark reddish brown, rest of appendages brownish yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: syntype, major. Lower: syntype, minor. MEXICO: Cuernavaca, Morelos, col. W. M. Wheeler. I have compared the specimens on which the drawing is based, which are located in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard, with syntypes in the Forel collection from the type locality. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
and - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
MEXICO: Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
L laevivertex, smooth top, referring to occiput. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Forel, A. 1901d. 1, Fourmis mexicaines récoltées par M. le professeur W.-M. Wheeler; 2, A propos de la classification des fourmis. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 45: 123–141.

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