Pheidole albipes

At the type locality, in degraded lowland forest, I found two colonies nesting in small rotting tree branches in the ground leaf litter, and another colony under the bark of a large rotten log. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
A small, strikingly colored species of the flavens group, similar in various traits to Pheidole alticola, Pheidole chalca, Pheidole ebenina, Pheidole etes, Pheidole euryscopa, Pheidole lustrata, Pheidole monteverdensis, Pheidole palenquensisand ''Pheidole servilia. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution
Southern Mexico: known from several lowland forested localities in Veracruz, and from forest 7 km south of Valle Nacional, Oaxaca, at 450 m. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Mexico.

Major
Reddish brown with strongly contrasting pale yellow tibiae and tarsi, and head bicolorous; region between eye and occipital border irregularly rugoreticulate, occipital margins and center of clypeus smooth and shiny, and rest of dorsal surface of head carinulate; almost all of mesosoma smooth and shiny; humerus subangulate in dorsal-oblique view; postpetiole diamond-shaped from above.

Body, coxae, and femora medium reddish brown; head anterior to eyes yellow; antennae, tibiae, and tarsi pale yellow.

Measurements (mm): Holotype major: HW 0.60, HL 0.64, SL 0.38, EL 0.10, PW 0.34.



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

Minor
Almost all of head and body smooth and shiny; occiput broad and strongly concave; humerus subdenticulate in dorsal-oblique view.

Head and body medium brown; coxae and femora light brown; antennae, tibiae, and tarsi very pale yellow, almost white.

Measurements (mm): Paratype minor: HW 0.38, HL 0.40, SL 0.36, EL 0.06, PW 0.24.

Type Locality Information
MEXICO: Pueblo Nuevo, near Tetzonapa, Veracruz (E. O. Wilson)

Etymology
L albipes, white-footed.