Pheidole scolioceps

At the type locality, Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin found five colonies in terra firme forest and woodland transitional to seasonally flooded forest, nesting variously in clay soil and, in one instance, a hollow rotten stick on the forest floor. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
From Wilson (2003): Known from the type locality and from the Pirelli Plantation (Iriboca), near Belém, Pará, Brazil, col. P. F. Darlington.

This taxon was described from Peru.

Nomenclature

 *  scolioceps. Pheidole scolioceps Wilson, 2003: 644, figs. (s.w.) PERU.

Description
DIAGNOSIS A member of the transversostriata group, closest to Pheidole gnomus of Ecuador, distinguished in the major by the broad swath of transverse carinulae covering the posterior third of the head, but unlike those of gnomus, they are less extensive and do not curve downward to the sides; also, the pronotum is completely smooth and shiny and lacks anterior carinulae.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.72, HL 0.88, SL 0.40, EL 0.10, PW 0.34. Paratype minor: HW 0.38, HL 0.44, SL 0.40, EL 0.06, PW 0.24.

COLOR Major and minor: concolorous clear medium yellow.



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

Type Locality Information
PERU: Cuzco Amazónico, 15 km northeast of Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, col. Stefan Cover.

Etymology
Gr scolioceps, bent head, alluding to dorsal profile of major.

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