Pheidole hitoy

This species occurs in lowland rainforest. Minor and major workers recruit to ground baits.

Identification
Minor: face smooth and shining; head rounded behind, with thin occipital carina; promesonotal groove present, distinctly impressed; anterior face of pronotum foveolate with a few transverse carinulae dorsal face smooth and shining, lateral face mostly smooth with some faint foveolation along ventral margin; katepisternum foveolate; propodeal spines long and thin, about as long as posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; mesosomal and gastral dorsum with abundant flexuous erect setae; tibiae with erect setae; color red brown.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth widely spaced, acicular; scape base terete; face mostly smooth and shining, with longitudinal carinulae between eye and frontal carinae, irregular faint patches of foveolation elsewhere; propodeal spines about as long as posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; side of head with erect setae; mesosomal and gastral dorsum with abundant flexuous erect setae; tibiae with erect setae.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.58, HL 0.70, SL 0.93, EL 0.14, WL 0.92, PSL 0.15, PTW 0.10, PPW 0.17, CI 82, SI 162, PSLI 27, PPI 162 (n=2).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.18, HL 1.28, SL 0.96, EL 0.18, WL 1.20, PSL 0.17, PTW 0.19, PPW 0.28, CI 92, SI 81, PSLI 14, PPI 149 (n=2).

This species is very similar to Pheidole indagatrix, differing in the longer propodeal spines (minor worker PSLI ~27 vs. < 20).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica.

Nomenclature

 *  hitoy. Pheidole hitoy Longino, 2019: 37, fig. 38 (w.) COSTA RICA.

Type Material

 * HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, Limón: Res. Biol. Hitoy-Cerere, 9.66824 -83.02232 ±50 m, 170 m, 12-Jun-2015, tropical rainforest, at bait (ADMAC, Ba-E-02-2-02-15) [MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0644296].
 * PARATYPES: major and minor worker: same data as holotype [JTLC, MCZC, MUCR]; same data except 9.6671 -83.02202 ±50 m, 180 m (Ba-E-02-2-04-06) [CAS, DZUP, JTLC, USNM].

Etymology
From the type locality.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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