Pheidole sepultura

This species occurs in montane wet forest, both mesophyll cloud forest and pine-oak forest. Minor and major workers recruit to ground baits, and minor workers occasionally occur in Winkler samples of sifted litter and rotten wood.

Identification
Minor: face foveolate, overlain with very faint irregular rugulae; mesosoma foveolate, pronotal dorsum overlain with reticulate rugulae; promesonotal groove present, distinctly impressed; propodeal spines about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster shagreened/foveolate on anterior third, smooth and shining posteriorly; mesosomal dorsum and gaster with moderately abundant, somewhat stiffened erect setae; tibiae with 0-3 erect setae; color mottled orange and brown.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth widely spaced, acicular; scape base terete; face entirely foveolate, overlain with irregular rugulae, strongest between eye and antennal fossa, fading posteriorly, faint linear rugulae between frontal carinae; propodeal spines about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum shagreened on anterior third, smooth and shining posteriorly; side of head lacking erect setae, vertex lobes with short, somewhat stiffened setae, rest of pilosity similar to minor worker; color mottled orange and brown.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.58, HL 0.68, SL 0.76, EL 0.14, WL 0.89, PSL 0.07, PTW 0.12, PPW 0.18, CI 85, SI 131, PSLI 12, PPI 149 (n=3).

Measurements, major worker: HW 0.97, HL 1.00, SL 0.77, EL 0.17, WL 1.04, PSL 0.11, PTW 0.21, PPW 0.30, CI 97, SI 80, PSLI 11, PPI 139 (n=3).

The minor worker of this species is similar to Pheidole acamata and Pheidole gulo, but with more extensive foveolation on the anterior portion of the first gastral tergite. The major worker is similar to P. acamata, but has no erect setae on the sides of head, has abundant long setae on the gaster, and the scape is slightly flattened at the base. In Economo et al. (2019), this species is JTL198. It is in a clade that includes Pheidole spathipilosa and Pheidole angusticeps further south, and a large radiation in the North American temperate zone, both arid southwest and mesic southeast.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Minor
Images from AntWeb

Nomenclature

 *  sepultura. Pheidole sepultura Longino, 2019: 58, fig. 37 (w.) MEXICO.

Type Material

 * HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Mexico, Chiapas: Sierra Morena, 16.15238 -93.60100 ±50 m, 1340 m, 13-May-2008, mesophyll forest, at bait (LLAMA, Ba-A-01-2-01-02) [UNAM, unique specimen identifier JTLC000014191].
 * PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [CAS, MCZC, UNAM]; same data except Ba-A-01-2-01-13 [JTLC, USNM]; same data except 16.14346 -93.59271 ±65 m, 1380 m, 14-May-2008, pine-oak forest, at bait (LLAMA, Ba-A-01-4-01-01) [DZUP].

Etymology
From the type locality (La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Longino J. T. 2019. Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American wet forest. Zootaxa 4599: 1-126