Pheidole brachyops

Collected from tuna baits in the “bosque humedo” of Santa Rosa National Park, and from roadside vegetation near Lagartos, on the road to Monteverde (Longino 1997).

Identification
A large, yellow member of the flavens group distinguishable as follows.

Major: proportionately small eyes and propodeal spiracles; short clypeus; deep concave cleft of occipital border in full-face view; bilobed profile of promesonotum in dorsal-oblique view; dense and full rugoreticulum between eye and antennal fossa; smooth posterior two-thirds of head dorsum; completely carinulate dorsad of pronotum; dense, long pilosity.

Minor: head and body almost completely smooth; propodeal spiracle tiny; propodeal spine thin, almost needle-like in side view.

See also the somewhat similar Pheidole arhuaca, Pheidole flavifrons, Pheidole lustrata, Pheidole moffetti, Pheidole quercicola and Pheidole tambopatae. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution
Northwestern lowlands of Costa Rica (Longino 1997).

This taxon was described from Costa Rica.

Description
A large, yellow member of the flavens group distinguishable as follows.

Major: proportionately small eyes and propodeal spiracles; short clypeus; deep concave cleft of occipital border in full-face view; bilobed profile of promesonotum in dorsal-oblique view; dense and full rugoreticulum between eye and antennal fossa; smooth posterior two-thirds of head dorsum; completely carinulate dorsad of pronotum; dense, long pilosity.

Concolorous dark yellow.

Minor: head and body almost completely smooth; propodeal spiracle tiny; propodeal spine thin, almost needle-like in side view.

Gaster brownish yellow, rest of body and appendages dark yellow.

See also the somewhat similar Pheidole arhuaca, Pheidole flavifrons, Pheidole lustrata, Pheidole moffetti, Pheidole quercicola and Pheidole tambopatae. (Wilson 2003)

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.20, HL 1.40, SL 0.64, EL 0.14, PW 0.56. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.56, SL 0.54, EL 0.10, PW 0.34.



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

Type Locality Information
COSTA RICA: Santa Rosa National Park, Guanacaste, 10°51'N 85°37'W, 100 m (J. T. Longino).

Etymology
Gr brachyops, short eyes, referring to the proportionately small eyes of the major.