Pheidole sigillata

Rosumek (2017) assessed trophic resource use and period of activity within the ant community in a southern Brazil Atlantic forest. He found, relative to other Pheidole sampled in this study, Pheidole lucretii, Pheidole nesiota, and Pheidole sigillata had similar patterns and broadly used the most attractive resources. It is known to commonly nest in twigs within leaf litter (Fernandes et al., 2018).

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil, Paraguay.

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  sigillata. Pheidole sigillata Wilson, 2003: 754, figs. (s.w.) BRAZIL.

Description
DIAGNOSIS Similar in various traits to Pheidole aper, Pheidole bambusarum, Pheidole brevicona, Pheidole dyctiota, Pheidole laeviventris, Pheidole lutzi, Pheidole risii, Pheidole rugatula, Pheidole senilis, Pheidole trachyderma and Pheidole traini, differing as follows.

Major: vertex and sides of dorsal surface of head rugoreticulate; occipital lobes foveolate and opaque; frontal lobes carinulate; pronotal dorsum rugoreticulate; sides of pronotum rugulose; metanotum sparsely rugulose; propodeal spines equilaterally triangular.

Minor: occiput slightly constricted, but lacking nuchal collar; occiput, sides of head, and mid-clypeus in full-face view rugoreticulate; promesonotal dorsum rugoreticulate; propodeal spines equilaterally triangular.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.34, HL 1.38, SL 0.56, EL 0.12, PW 0.64. Paratype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.56, SL 0.54, EL 0.10, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: concolorous light brown.

Minor: body yellowish brown except for anterior fourth of head capsule, which is a lighter shade of brownish yellow; appendages brownish yellow.



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

Type Material
Brazil. Caraguatatuba Reserva Florestal, São Paulo, 40–80 m, col. William L. Brown.

Etymology
L sigillata, adorned with little figures or marks, referring to variable sculpturing among different parts of body.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fernandes T. T., R. R. Silva, D. Rodrigues de Souza-Campana, O. Guilherme Morais da Silva, and M. Santina de Castro Morini. 2019. Winged ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) presence in twigs on the leaf litter of Atlantic Forest. Biota Neotropica 19(3): http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0694
 * Fernandes T. T., W. Dattilo, R. R. Silva, P. Luna, C. M. Oliveira, and M. Santina de Castro Morini. 2019. Ant occupation of twigs in the leaf litter of the Atlantic Forest: influence of the environment and external twig structure. Tropical Conservation Science 12: 1-9.
 * Fleck M. D., E. Bisognin Cantarelli, and F. Granzotto. 2015. Register of new species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Rio Grande do Sul state. Ciencia Florestal, Santa Maria 25(2): 491-499.
 * Wild, A. L. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.