Pheidole tikal

This species occurs in lowland seasonal moist to dry habitats, scrubby vegetation, second growth forest, and mature forest. Most collections are minor workers and occasional major workers recruited to ground baits. Workers occur in Winkler samples of sifted litter and rotten wood.

Identification
Minor: face and mesosoma foveolate, with foveolation absent on lower half of katepisternum; promesonotal groove absent; propodeal spines one fifth length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; sparse short erect setae on mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gaster; color orange.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth distinct, closely spaced; scape base terete; face with distinct scrobes, delimited dorsally by frontal carinae and forming concave trough below them, ventral and posterior margins less delimited, surface of scrobe smooth and shiny; head weakly depressed posteriorly; face surface generally shiny, overlain with subparallel, longitudinal carinae; propodeal spines one third to one half length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; sides of head with abundant erect setae; abundant flexuous erect setae on mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gaster.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.39, HL 0.43, SL 0.37, EL 0.09, WL 0.47, PSL 0.02, PTW 0.07, PPW 0.10, CI 91, SI 95, PSLI 6, PPI 143 (n=6).

Measurements, major worker: HW 0.74, HL 0.92, SL 0.39, EL 0.12, WL 0.71, PSL 0.07, PTW 0.16, PPW 0.27, CI 81, SI 53, PSLI 9, PPI 173 (n=6).

For details see Pheidole andersoni.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Guatemala.

Minor
Images from AntWeb

Nomenclature

 *  tikal. Pheidole tikal Longino, 2019: 60, fig. 4 (w.) GUATEMALA.

Type Material

 * HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Guatemala, Petén: Cerro Cahuí, 16.99995 -89.71513 ±56 m, 195 m, 24-May-2009, tropical moist forest, at bait (LLAMA, Ba-B-05-4-01-12) [MCZC, unique specimen identifier CASENT0645181].
 * PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [MCZC, CAS]; same data except 17.00227 -89.71939 ±110 m, 305 m (Ba-B-05-4-06-02) [UVGC]; Parq. Nac. Tikal, 17.24115 -89.62226 ±111 m, 270 m, 23-May-2009, tropical moist forest, at bait (LLAMA, Ba-B-05-1-02-04) [USNM]; same data except Ba-B-05-1-02-18 [DZUP].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Longino J. T. 2019. Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American wet forest. Zootaxa 4599: 1-126