Pheidole protaxi

This species is only known from the type series. Specimens were collected in a leaf litter sample of a primary fragment of tabuleiro forest. The colony was nesting between leaves, under rotten wood.

Distribution
Bahia, Brazil.

Distribution based on type material
Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  protaxi. Pheidole protaxi Oliveira & Lacau, in Oliveira et al., 2015: 535, figs. 1-3 (w.) BRAZIL.

Worker
Major workers (n= 7): EL: [0,11] (0,12±0,01) {0,11-0,14}, GL: [0,78] (0,78±0,13) {0,54-0,92}, HL: [0,80] (0,88±0,04) {0,8-0,93}, HLA1: [0,22] (0,25±0,02) {0,22-0,28} HLA2: [0,16] (0,18±0,02) {0,15-0,21}, HLP: [0,07] (0,10±0,02) {0,07-0,12}, HW: [0,79] (0,85±0,03) {0,79– 0,90}, HWT: [0,64] (0,69±0,03) {0,64-0,72}, MDL: [0,38] (0,39±0,02) {0,35-0,41}, MFL: [0,54] (0,55±0,02) {0,52-0,58}, PPH: [0,13] (0,15±0,01) {0,13-0,17}, PPL: [0,13] (0,13±0,01) {0,11-0,15}, PPW: [0,13] (0,14±0,01) {0,13-0,15}, PSL: [0,08] (0,09±0,02) {0,06-0,10}, PTH: [0,17] (0,18±0,01) {0,17-0,20}, PTL: [0,22] (0,23±0,01) {0,21-0,25}, PTW: [0,10] (0,11±0,01) {0,09-0,12}, PW: [0,37] (0,40±0,02) {0,37-0,43}, SL: [0,42] (0,43±0,03) {0,38-0,47}, SPL: [0,05] (0,04±0,01) {0,03-0,05}, WH: [0,36] (0,39±0,03) {0,36-0,44}, WL: [0,73] (0,73±0,02) {0,70-0,77}. Minor workers (n= 7): EL: (0,09±0,01) {0,09- 0,10}, GL: (0,48±0,06) {0,40-0,58}, HL: (0,48±0,02) {0,44- 0,50}, HLA1: (0,18±0,01) {0,16-0,19} HLA2: (0,11±0,02) {0,08-0,13}, HW: (0,46±0,02) {0,44–0,48}, HWT: (0,40±0,02) {0,37-0,43}, MDL: (0,28±0,01) {0,26-0,30}, MFL: (0,43±0,02) {0,40-0,45}, PPH: (0,10±0,01) {0,08-0,12}, PPL: (0,09±0,01) {0,08-0,10}, PPW: (0,10±0,01) {0,09-0,11}, PSL: (0,07±0,01) {0,05-0,08}, PTH: (0,14±0,01) {0,12-0,15}, PTL: (0,19±0,02) {0,16-0,20}, PTW: (0,07±0,01) {0,06-0,08}, PW: (0,30±0,01) {0,30-0,31}, SL: (0,39±0,02) {0,35-0,42}, SPL: (0,03±0,00) {0,03-0,04}, WH: (0,31±0,02) {0,28-0,34}, WL: (0,59±0,02) {0,56-0,62}.

The minor and major workers of this new species exhibit all the diagnostic characters of the genus Pheidole. It differs from all other known species by the unique following combination of characters. Major worker – Head in dorsal view: with a quadrate shape, as long as wide; vertexal margin deeply and widely concave. Frontal carinae short and straight, posteriorly diverging, their tips reaching the imaginary transversal line crossing anterior edge of eyes. Head in ventral view: submedian teeth of hypostomal carina with triangular shape, slightly blunt and strongly divergent. Head in lateral view: median part of vertex with sub-rectilinear outline, slightly convex. Antennae with 12 segments; scape relatively short, its tip not reaching the mid-point between posterior edge of eye and vertexal corner. Mesosoma in dorsal view: with pronotum and mesonotum completely fused, the lateral margins with outline drawing a losange. Mesosoma in lateral view: pronotum and mesonotum completely fused, the dorsal face with outline forming a single convexity. Pronotum in posterior view: dorsal face with outline slightly convex; lateral faces with outline strongly concave. Propodeum in lateral view: spines relatively short, postero-laterally directed. Postpetiole (3rd abdominal segment) in dorsal view: slightly wider than petiole (2nd abdominal segment). First gastral segment (fourth abdominal segment) in dorsal view: anterior margin with outline convex. Vertex almost entirely smooth and shining, except the median longitudinal sulcus with areolate microrugulae (no other sculpturing types). Clypeus with a short longitudinal carina between midpoint of posterior edge and its anterior third; median and lateral parts separated by two symmetrical pairs of straight carinae, diverging anteriorly. Mesosoma almost entirely sculptured with areolate microrugulae, except median part of its dorsal face, posterior part of the lateral faces of pronotum, and median part of katepisternum that are smooth and shining. Antero-dorsal part of pronotum with fine transversal rugulae. Petiole wholly sculptured with areolate microrugulae. Postpetiole nearly all sculptured with areolate microrugulae, except its dorsal face. Minor worker - Head in dorsal view: frontal carinae short and straight, posteriorly diverging, their tips reaching the imaginary transversal line crossing anterior edge of eyes. Head in postero-lateral view: occipital carina present but discrete. Antennae with 12 segments; scape reaching, but not exceeding, posterior margin of head. Mesosoma in dorsal view: pronotal humerus developed as blunt tubercles. Mesosoma in lateral view: pronotum and mesonotum completely fused, the dorsal face with outline forming a single convexity. Propodeum in lateral view: spines relatively short, postero-laterally directed. Postpetiole (3rd abdominal segment) in dorsal view: same width as petiole (2nd abdominal segment). First gastral segment (fourth abdominal segment) in dorsal view: anterior margin with subrectilinear outline, slightly concave. Head almost entirely smooth and shining, except some rugae and areolate microrugulae on the dorsal part of preocular genae. Mesosoma almost entirely sculptured with areolate microrugulae, except a small circular area smooth and shining on lateral faces of pronotum. Petiole wholly sculptured with areolate microrugulae. Postpetiole entirely smooth and shining.

Type Material
Holotype (Major worker, : [LBSA_ SA_14013667]): Brasil, Bahia, Porto Seguro, CEPLAC/CEPEC/ Estação Ecológica do Pau Brasil (ESPAB) (16°23’50’’S, 39°10’28’’W), elev. 101 m, 5-6.11.2011, col. M.L. Oliveira, Y.A.M. Velasco, & B.J.B. Jahyny. Paratypes: 6 major workers and 7 minor workers with the same data as holotype (one major worker and two minor workers deposited in CPDC: [LBSA_SA_14014469; LBSA_SA_14012040; LBSA_SA_ 14014463], one major worker and one minor worker in : [LBSA_SA_14014470; LBSA_SA_14014464], : [LBSA_SA_14014471; LBSA_SA_14014465], : [LBSA_SA_14014472; LBSA_SA_14014466], : [LBSA_SA_14014473; LBSA_SA_14014467] and MZSP: [LBSA_SA_14014474; LBSA_SA_14014468].

Etymology
The name of this new taxon, “protaxi”, is a latinization of the “PROTAX” name, Brazilian acronym for “Programa de capacitação em taxonomia”, meaning: program of capacitation in taxonomy”.