Pheidole rochai

Nothing is known about the biology of P. rochai.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known with certainty only from the Ceará type series. I have not seen the series described by Santschi (1923d: 46) as “var. deflexa” from Paraguay. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil.

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  rochai. Pheidole lemur r. rochai Forel, 1912f: 226 (s.w.) BRAZIL. [Pheidole rochai Forel, 1908e: 65. Nomen nudum.] Raised to species: Wilson, 2003: 225.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A small yellow member of the diligens group whose major has a moderately prominent mesonotal convexity as part of a bilobous promesonotal outline seen in dorsal-oblique view; short, equilaterally triangular propodeal spine; overall mostly smooth and shiny body with sculpturing on the head confined to the eye level and anterior to it, and composed exclusively of longitudinal carinulae; and abundant medium-length, erect pilosity.

Close to Pheidole blumenauensis, Pheidole longiscapa, Pheidole perryorum, Pheidole tanyscapa and Pheidole vafra, but differing variously in head shape, eye size, sculpturing, and color. See also the less similar Pheidole lemur, Pheidole pubiventris, Pheidole seeldrayersi and Pheidole variegata (= Pheidole pubiventris), as illustrated.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 0.92, HL 0.96, SL 0.76, EL 0.14, PW 0.56. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.60, SL 0.74, EL 0.12, PW 0.34.

COLOR Major and minor: concolorous yellow.



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

Type Material
BRAZIL: Ceará. - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
Eponymous. (Wilson 2003)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
 * Forel A. 1908. Catálogo systemático da collecção de formigas do Ceará. Boletim do Museu Rocha 1(1): 62-69.
 * Forel A. 1912. Formicides néotropiques. Part III. 3me sous-famille Myrmicinae (suite). Genres Cremastogaster et Pheidole. Mémoires de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 19: 211-237.
 * Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Kusnezov N. 1952. El género Pheidole en la Argentina (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Acta Zoologica Lilloana 12: 5-88.
 * Kusnezov N. 1978. Hormigas argentinas: clave para su identificación. Miscelánea. Instituto Miguel Lillo 61:1-147 + 28 pl.