Pheidole caribbaea

Wheeler (1911) reported: Described from numerous soldiers, workers and males and two females taken by Mr. Wight from several nests at Mandeville, Balaclava and Troy. According to notes accompanying the specimens the colonies of this species are "very populous, active and aggressive and nest in moist black soil under stones or in rotten logs."

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Jamaica.

Nomenclature

 *  caribbaea. Pheidole caribbaea Wheeler, W.M. 1911a: 23 (s.w.q.m.) JAMAICA. Senior synonym of sloanei: Wilson, 2003: 272.
 * sloanei. Pheidole caribbaea subsp. sloanei Wheeler, W.M. 1917g: 459 (s.w.q.) JAMAICA. Junior synonym of caribbaea: Wilson, 2003: 272.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A brown member of the fallax group whose major has the dorsal surface of the head completely covered with longitudinal parallel carinulae, except the extreme occipital strip (seen in full-face view), which is smooth and shiny; pronotum and anterior mesonotum completely covered with transverse carinulae; postpetiolar node trapezoidal; anterior half of the first gastral tergite shagreened; and head densely covered with mostly erect to suberect hairs.

Close to Pheidole mantilla of Costa Rica and Pheidole kukrana of Nicaragua but differing in details of head shape, sculpture, pilosity, and color (q.v.); see also Pheidole cardinalis, Pheidole obscurior, Pheidole rubiceps''.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Syntype major: HW 1.12, HL 1.20, SL 0.96, EL 0.20, PW 0.58. Syntype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.66, SL 0.92, EL 0.14, PW 0.34.

COLOR Major: head medium brown, mesosoma dark brown, waist and gaster medium to dark brown, appendages light to medium brown.

Minor: body concolorous medium brown, appendages medium to yellowish brown.



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

Type Material
JAMAICA: Balaclava. - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
Refers to region of origin. (Wilson 2003)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Wheeler W. M. 1917. Jamaican ants collected by Prof. C. T. Brues. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 61: 457-471.
 * Wheeler, William Morton. 1911. Additions to the Ant-Fauna of Jamaica. Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. 30:21-29.