Pheidole laticrista

This species is only known from type specimens. Nothing is known about its biology.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Argentina.

Nomenclature

 *  laticrista. Pheidole (Elasmopheidole) laticrista Santschi, 1916e: 375, 2 figs. (s.w.q.) ARGENTINA. See also: Wilson, 2003: 134.

Description
From Wilson (2003): Major: frontal lobes greatly expanded anteriorly, so that their edges project beyond the lateral head margins in full-face view, and their flat anterior margins just reach the anterior clypeal border; in side view the frontal lobes project downward over the clypeus like thin horns; pronotum greatly enlarged, in dorsal-oblique view 4X higher than the mesonotal convexity, and seen fromabove more than 2X as wide as the mesonotum; head bicolored (see color below).

Minor: nearly identical to minor of Pheidole cavifrons (q.v.) except for large eye, as illustrated.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 0.94, HL 1.28, SL 0.22, EL 0.12, PW 0.66. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.56, SL 0.38, EL 0.08, PW 0.34.

COLOR Major: body medium yellow except for anterior dorsal surface of head, which is medium brown.

Minor: concolorous yellow.



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

Type Material
and - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
ARGENTINA: Estación Sosa, Entre Rios.

Etymology
L laticrista, broad ridge, referring to the widely expanded frontal lobes. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Santschi, F. 1916e. Formicides sudaméricains nouveaux ou peu connus. Physis (Buenos Aires) 2: 365–399.

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