Pheidole macclendoni

In western Texas Moody and Francke (1982) discovered two colonies nesting in open soil and one beneath a clump of grass. Winged queens were found by William S. Creighton at Dryden, Texas, on 29 December. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Evidently scarce, recorded from Arizona, as well as central and western Texas. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from the United States.

Nomenclature

 *  macclendoni. Pheidole macclendoni Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 450, pl. 27, fig. 36 (s.w.) U.S.A. See also: Wilson, 2003: 582.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS A member of the “bicarinata complex” of the larger pilifera group, comprising Pheidole agricola, Pheidole aurea, Pheidole barbata, Pheidole bicarinata, Pheidole centeotl, Pheidole cerebrosior, Pheidole defecta, Pheidole gilvescens, Pheidole macclendoni, Pheidole macrops, Pheidole marcidula, Pheidole paiute, Pheidole pinealis, Pheidole psammophila, Pheidole xerophila, Pheidole yaqui and Pheidole yucatana, which complex is characterized by the large to very large, forward-set eyes of both castes, especially the minor; and, in the major, the occipital lobes lacking any sculpturing (except in aurea); the posterior half of the head capsule almost entirely smooth and shiny; and the postpetiolar node seen from above oval, elliptical, or laterally angulate (cornulate in cerebrosior).

P. macclendoni is distinguished by the presence of a supermajor in addition to the major caste and is further distinguished by the following traits.

Major: long, thin propodeal spine; prominent humeral lobe in dorsal-oblique view; bell-shaped postpetiolar node seen from above.

Supermajor: lacks sculpturing on the posterior half of the head.

Minor: propodeal spines reduced to denticles; humerus subangulate in dorsal-oblique view; very low postpetiolar node in side view;bell-shaped postpetiolar node seen from above.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.50, HL 1.60, SL 0.82, EL 0.26, PW 0.74. Paralectotype supermajor: HW 2.74, HL 2.58, SL 1.02, EL 0.34,. PW (not measured). Paralectotype minor: HW 0.62, HL 0.64, SL 0.60, EL 0.18, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: reddish yellow, gaster a slightly contrasting yellowish brown.

Supermajor: concolorous reddish yellow.

Minor: body light brown, appendages a lighter shade of yellowish brown.



'''Figure. Upper: lectotype, major (body and full head), Corsicana, in Navarro Co. near Dallas, Texas. Paralectotype, supermajor (partial head only), Benson, Cochise Co., Arizona. Lower: paralectotype, minor, Laredo, Webb Co., Texas. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
and - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
Eponymous (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Moody, J. V., Francke, O. F. 1982. The ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of western Texas, Part 1: Subfamily Myrmicinae. Grad. Stud. Tex. Tech Univ. 27: 1–80.

Wheeler, W. M. 1908. The ants of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. (Part I.). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 24: 399–485.

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