Pheidole texticeps

This species occurs in wet forest habitats. Workers are common on the ground and on low vegetation. They readily recruit to baits, and major workers are often at baits with minor workers. Nests are in soil, with a simple gallery leading to a chamber about 10cm deep. The two nests that have been excavated contained single queens. A colony collected at the type locality by Stefan Cover et al. was nesting in primary rainforest in and beneath a rotten branch on the ground. (Longino 2009, Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama.

Nomenclature

 * perdiligens. Pheidole perdiligens Wilson, 2003: 213, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA. Junior synonym of texticeps: Longino, 2009: 85.
 *  texticeps. Pheidole texticeps Wilson, 2003: 240, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA. Senior synonym of perdiligens: Longino, 2009: 85.

Description
A member of the diligens group, distinguished as follows.

Major: bicolorous; dorsal head surface between eyes and frontal carinae, from the genae almost to but not including the occiput, weakly rugoreticulate; hypostoma with 2 teeth; mesosomal convexity in side view very high, tapering to a blunt point; pronotum bilobous in dorsal-oblique view; mesosoma dorsum with a row of sparse, paired setae; gaster entirely smooth and shiny.

Minor: bicolorous, mesosomal convexity very high; mesosomal dorsum sparsely pilose; dorsal surface of head smooth and shiny.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.90, HL 0.92, SL 0.64, EL 0.16, PW 0.48. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.58, SL 0.66, EL 0.14, PW 0.36.

COLOR Major: head, antennae, and mandibles light brown; mesosoma, waist, and legs light brown; gaster dark brown.

Minor: mesosoma, waist, and appendages medium brown; head and gaster blackish brown.



'''Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
Longino (2009):

Holotype major worker and associated paratype minor worker: Costa Rica, Heredia, La Selva Biological Station, 1988 (S. Cover) (examined).

Pheidole perdiligens Holotype major worker and associated paratype minor worker: Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Sirena, 28 Feb 1979, secondary rainforest, <1/2mi from coast, rotten branch on forest floor (S. P. Cover CR312) (examined).

Etymology
L texticeps, woven head, referring to the fabric-like, rugoreticulate dorsal surface of the head.