Pheidole superba

The Barro Colorado series was collected by Diana E. Wheeler from a bat roost.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known from the type locality, as well as from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia, Panama.

Nomenclature

 *  superba. Pheidole superba Wilson, 2003: 762, figs. (s.w.) COLOMBIA.

Description
Similar in various traits to Pheidole amata, Pheidole ambigua, Pheidole celaena, Pheidole fera, Pheidole germaini, Pheidole peruviana, Pheidole rutilana, Pheidole schwarzmaieri, Pheidole and Pheidole vomer, differing as follows.

Major: large, dark reddish to blackish brown; eye small; humerus prominently raised in dorsal-oblique view as a large equilateral triangle; in side view, venter of head strongly convex and dorsum weakly so, with the head as a whole tapering conspicuously to the occiput; in full-face view, head subrectangular, with deep occipital cleft; posterior half of dorsal head surface smooth and shiny, anterior half carinulate, with no rugoreticulum; lower half of mesopleuron, humeri, and parts of mesonotum and propodeal dorsa carinulate, rest of mesosoma smooth and shiny; propodeal spines long and slender; postpetiole from above elliptical, with angulate margins.

Minor: yellow; occiput only slightly narrowed but with nuchal collar; apex of petiolar node strongly and broadly convex; spines short and directed backward; head and body mostly smooth and shiny.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.84, HL 2.16, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.84. Paratype minor: HW 0.62, HL 0.66, SL 0.74, EL 0.10, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major: head dark reddish brown, rest of body blackish brown, appendages medium reddish brown.

Minor: dark yellow.



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

Type Material
COLOMBIA: Pueblito, on southern boundary of Tayrona Park, 250 m, col. Charles Kugler.

Etymology
L superba, splendid, superior, referring to the larger, strikingly dark, shiny body of major.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.