Pheidole guayasana

The type series was collected from a forest at the base of a mountain, and the nest contained seeds. Winged queens were present in the Rio Palenque nest when found by G. J. Umphrey on 28 July. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known only from Bucay and Rio Palenque, Ecuador. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Ecuador.

Nomenclature

 *  guayasana. Pheidole guayasana Wilson, 2003: 702, figs. (s.w.) ECUADOR.

Description
DIAGNOSIS Similar in various characters to Pheidole fullerae, Pheidole gauthieri, Pheidole hetschkoi, Pheidole heyeri, Pheidole napoensis, Pheidole pidax, Pheidole rosae, Pheidole rosula, and especially Pheidole securigera, differing as follows.

Major: brown; frontal lobes extended forward as conspicuous right-angular processes, seen from the side; antennal scrobes present, each followed posteriorly by a patch of rugoreticulum; a very small patch of rugoreticulum present on edge of antennal fossa; occipital lobes in full-face view smoothly rounded; posterior half of pronotal profile flat in dorsal-oblique view; mesonotum and dorsal propodeal face almost entirely free of carinulae; postpetiole spinose.

Minor: propodeal spines reduced to denticles; occiput narrow, with very thin nuchal collar; carinulae on promesonotum mostly limited to anterior and posterior margins; carinulae on head mostly limited to posterior fourth of dorsal head surface.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.52, HL 1.64, SL 0.68, EL 0.14, PW 0.74. Paratype minor: HW 0.56, HL 0.60, SL 0.70, EL 0.08, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: gaster plain dark brown; rest of body, and mandibles, medium reddish brown; other appendages plain dark yellow.

Minor: body plain light brown, appendages dark yellow.



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

Type Material
ECUADOR: 3 km southwest of Bucay, Guayas, col. William L. Brown.

Etymology
Named based on the Ecuadoran province of the type locality.