Pheidole obtusopilosa

A collection of obtusopilosa was made by William L. Brown at the Boraceia Biological Station, near Salesópolis, São Paulo, in wet mountain forest at 850 m. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Recorded from Uruguay; and, in Argentina, the northern and central provinces of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Jujuy, La Pampa, and Tucumán (Kempf 1972b). I have confirmed a series from São Paulo. (Wilson 2003)

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

Biology
Kempf (1974) reported that Oxyepoecus bruchi were collected with P. obtusopilosa in Alta Gracia and La Granja, Córdoba, Argentina.

Nomenclature

 *  obtusopilosa. Pheidole obtusopilosa Mayr, 1887: 586 (s.), 602 (w.) URUGUAY. Santschi, 1917f: 278 (m.); Santschi, 1926d: 7 (q.). See also: Wilson, 2003: 477.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS Similar to Pheidole heterothrix, distinguished from it and other Pheidole species by the following combination of traits.

Major: entire dorsal surface of head rugoreticulate except for frontal lobes, frontal triangle, clypeus, and anterior genae; humeri rugoreticulate; anterior margin of pronotal dorsum carinulate; all of mesosoma and waist foveolate; postpetiole from above elliptical.

Minor: almost all of body except gaster foveolate and opaque; humeri subangulate; propodeal spines moderately long and slender; occipital margin concave; nuchal collar absent.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.16, HL 1.18, SL 0.54, EL 0.14, PW 0.60. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.56, HL 0.58, SL 0.50, EL 0.10, PW 0.36.

COLOR Major: body light reddish brown except for gaster, which is plain medium brown.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
URUGUAY

Etymology
L obtusopilosa, blunt-haired, allusion uncertain. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da região Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3–344.

Mayr, G. 1887. Südamerikanische Formiciden. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 37: 511–632.

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