Pheidole taurus

Nothing is known about the biology of taurus.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Buenos Aires and Santa Fé, Argentina (Kempf 1972b).

This taxon was described from Argentina.

Description
From Wilson (2003): The most distinctive member of the aberrans group and one of the most unusual Pheidole species.

Major: frontal lobes drawn out into sharp, downward- and inward-curving horn-like extensions that reach beyond the clypeus to overhang the bases of the mandibles; laterally the edges of the frontal lobes extend past the margins of the head; bicolorous (see color below); carinulae of head confined to a broad band from the level of the frontal triangle to the transverse carina that delimits the beginning of the occiput.

Minor: promesonotal dorsum covered by semicircular carinae; carinulae on head mostly limited to antennal fossae and clypeus.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.08, HL 1.24, SL 0.42, EL 0.10, PW 0.66. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.48, HL 0.56, SL 0.42, EL 0.08, PW 0.34.

COLOR Major: concolorous reddish yellow, including midclypeus, but “horns” (extended frontal lobes), together with the frontal triangle and vertex, are dark brown, forming a “mask” over anterior dorsal surface of the head.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
ARGENTINA: Santa Catalina, Buenos Aires. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
Gr taurus, bull, alluding to the horn-like frontal lobes of the major. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Emery, C. 1906c (“1905”). Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica, XXVI. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 37: 107–194.

Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da região Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3–344

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