Pheidole harlequina

The type colony was collected roughly in the center of Hispaniola, in a ravine with a pine-hardwood forest.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
A Hispaniola endemic that is only known from the Dominican Republic.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Dominican Republic, Greater Antilles.

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  harlequina. Pheidole harlequina Wilson, 2003: 432, figs. (s.w.) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

Description
Similar to Pheidole drepanon, another unusual Dominican endemic, differing from it and all other Pheidole as follows.

Major: propodeal spine thick, curved slightly, and as long as the propodeal basal face anterior to it; body multicolored as depicted and described under Color below; head much broader than long, expanding posteriorly to maximum width at occiput; a small patch of rugoreticulum present between eye and antennal fossa on each side, and most of rest of dorsal surface of head carinulate; postpetiole from above oval.

Minor: multicolored, as described below; propodeal spines thick, curved, and as long as the propodeal basal face anterior to them.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 0.90, SL 0.66, EL 0.14, PW 0.50. Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.50, SL 0.62, EL 0.10, PW 0.34.

COLOR Major: multicolored; mesosoma and waist dark brown; posterior rear half of head, a large circular patch covering part of vertex, and all of frontal triangle and clypeus medium brown; and rest of body clear yellow.

Minor: head, mesosoma, and waist dark brown; gaster pale yellow; appendages light to brownish yellow.



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

Type Material
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (Greater Antilles): Hotel Nueva Sueza, Constanza, La Vega Prov., 1300 m, col. William L. and Doris E. Brown.

Etymology
NL harlequina for harlequin, clown in multicolored, brightly patterned costume.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Perez-Gelabert D. E. 2008. Arthropods of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti): A checklist and bibliography. Zootaxa 1831:1-530.
 * Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press