Pheidole hetschkoi

From Wilson (2003): Occurs in montane rainforest. A seed cache was found in a nest in the Boraceia Biological Station, Salesópolis, São Paulo, col. W. L. Brown.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
In addition to the types, from the state of Santa Catarina, I have examined series from Espirito Santo and São Paulo, variously at 750–800 m. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  hetschkoi. Pheidole hetschkoi Emery, 1896g: 66 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Senior synonym of frivola: Wilson, 2003: 705.
 * frivola. Pheidole hetschkoi var. frivola Santschi, 1923d: 57 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of hetschkoi: Wilson, 2003: 705.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS Similar to Pheidole antillana, Pheidole coveri and Pheidole gauthieri, differing in the following combination of traits.

Major: shallow antennal scrobes with surfaces weakly sculptured and shiny; patches of rugoreticulum mesad to the eyes and others posterior to the antennal scrobes; middle third of the dorsal head surface covered by longitudinal carinulae that reach the occipital border; anterior margin of the pronotal dorsum rugoreticulate, and lateral borders irregularly carinulate; postpetiolar cornicles strongly developed.

Minor: transverse carinulae cover the occiput; carinulae arising on the frontal lobes curve to the outside (laterad) to approach the eyes transversely; pronotal dorsum entirely carinulate; mesonotal dorsum rugoreticulate; mesonotum rugoreticulate; occiput narrow, with nuchal collar.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 2.00, HL 2.14, SL 0.90, EL 0.24, PW 0.84. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.76, HL 0.86, SL 0.90, EL 0.16, PW 0.54.

COLOR Major: head, mesothorax, and appendages medium reddish brown, waist and gaster medium plain or reddish brown.

Minor: head and mesosoma medium brown; waist, gaster, and appendages brownish yellow.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
BRAZIL: Santa Catarina. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
Eponymous. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Emery, C. 1896. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica, XVII–XXV. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 28: 33–107.

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