Pheidole gertrudae

Nothing is known about the biology of gertrudae.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Widespread in Brazil, from Amazonas to Santa Catarina; also recorded from Tipuani, La Paz, Amazonian Bolivia (var. leonhardi types); Canindeyli Department, Paraguay; and Loreto, Misiones, northern Argentina (var. loretensis types). (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  gertrudae. Pheidole gertrudae Forel, 1886b: xlii (w.) BRAZIL. Mayr, 1887: 592 (s.). Senior synonym of humilis: Kempf, 1960f: 463; of leonhardi, loretensis: Wilson, 2003: 537.
 * leonhardi. Pheidole gertrudae var. leonhardi Forel, 1901h: 62 (s.w.) BOLIVIA. Junior synonym of gertrudae: Wilson, 2003: 537.
 * humilis. Megalomyrmex (Wheelerimyrmex) humilis Borgmeier, 1930: 35, pl. 5, figs. 34, 36 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of gertrudae: Kempf, 1960f: 463.
 * loretensis. Pheidole (Pheidole) gertrudae var. loretensis Santschi, 1933e: 108 (w.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of gertrudae: Wilson, 2003: 537.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS With the distinctive qualities of the gertrudae group: propodeal spines greatly reduced to absent in major, absent in minor; propodeal spiracle extremely large; entire body mostly smooth and shiny. Differs from other members of group (Pheidole capillata, Pheidole jeannei, q.v.) in the major in the following combination of traits: no rugoreticulum on head, humerus subangulate in dorsal-oblique view; no trace of a propodeal spine, with the basal and declivitous faces of the propodeum in side view meeting in a very wide oblique angle.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.30, HL 1.34, SL 0.76, EL 0.26, PW 0.62. Para lectotype type minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.66, SL 0.72, EL 0.14, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major: concolorous light reddish yellow.

Minor: concolorous light brownish yellow.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
BRAZIL: Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
Named in honor of Gertrude Naegeli. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Forel, A. 1886b. Espèces nouvelles de fourmis américaines. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 30: xxxviii–xlix.

Text and images from this publication used by permission of the author.