Pheidole pilosior

The type colony was collected by Cover in a heavily grazed creek floodplain forest, nesting beneath a stone in shade. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality in Texas.

This taxon was described from the United States.

Description
A member of the crassicornis group, similar to Pheidole crassicornis, Pheidole diversipilosa, Pheidole porcula, Pheidole tetra and Pheidole vallicola, and differing in the following combination of traits.

Major: reddish to dark brown; rugoreticulum of head forms a broad swath from eye to frontal carinae; pilosity very dense, forming a thick fringe of short hairs around the head and a thick mat of hairs of short to medium length on the first gastral tergite; petiolar node in side view tapered to a blunt point at the apex; postpetiolar node laterally acute-angulate; basal segment of scape 2! broader than distal segment.

Minor: dark brown; posterior dorsal half of head and promesonotal dorsum smooth and shiny.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.54, HL 1.58, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.76. Paratype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.68, SL 0.74, EL 0.14, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: head rich medium reddish brown, with broad area of vertex covering central half of head capsule dark brown; body dark brown; legs medium brown.

Minor: most of body and antennae dark, almost blackish brown; lateral wings of clypeus and legs medium brown.



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

Type Locality Information
TEXAS: Limpia Canyon creekbed, Davis Mts., Jeff Davis Co., southwestern Texas, col. Stefan Cover.

Etymology
L pilosior, hairier.

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