Pheidole porcula

Near San Angelo, Texas, Stefan Cover (unpublished notes) found a nest in a grassy flat, in clayey soil beneath a rock. Moody and Francke (1982) found numerous colonies in western Texas at 100–1700 m, nesting variously under stones, logs, cow dung, and under wood and fragments of metal, as well as in open soil. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
The form of the scape easily separates this species from most of the others. It is wide near the base, and flattened or even concave on the upper surface. The scape progressively narrows towards the apex. The scapes of the major extend about two-thirds the length of the head. The posterior lateral lobes are usually moderately smooth and shining, but they are occasionally punctate. The propodeal spines are small, but well formed. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Also see the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Chisos Mts. of the Big Bend of southwestern Texas to the vicinity of Abilene and San Angelo, central Texas; probably also occurs in upland Chihuahua. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Mexico.



Habitat
Cypress and oak forests, grasslands, up to 1450 meters in elevation. They are apparently most common in semi-arid habitats. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Biology
These ants nest under stones, in very rocky loam. They can be aggressive when the nest is disturbed, and the minors, and especially the majors, can bite. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Nomenclature

 *  porcula. Pheidole crassicornis subsp. porcula Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 466, pl. 27, fig. 35 (s.w.) U.S.A. Taber & Cokendolpher, 1988: 95 (k.). Raised to species: Creighton, 1950a: 187. See also: Wilson, 2003: 159.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A member of the crassicornis group close to Pheidole crassicornis, Pheidole diversipilosa, Pheidole tetra and Pheidole vallicola, differing from these species in the following combination of traits.

Major: yellow; rugoreticulum on head stretches from frontal carinae obliquely upward posterior to level of eye but does not reach the eye; pilosity dense, in full-face view fringing the head and on the first gastral tergite forming a very short, uniform felt; humerus subangulate; postpetiole from above oval, not angulate; scape at widest part of basal portion is 2x widest part of distal portion; pronotum smooth and shiny except for anterior fringe, which is carinulate.

Minor: posterior half of head completely smooth and shiny, pronotum sparsely foveolate, feebly shiny; propodeal spines reduced to denticles.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.58, HL 1.60, SL 0.92, EL 0.20, PW 0.78. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.74, SL 0.84, EL 0.12, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major: concolorous yellow.

Minor: concolorous light reddish brown.



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

Type Material
TEXAS: Chisos Mts., Big Bend of southwestern Texas, col. O. W. Williams. and - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
L porcula, little pig-like. (Wilson 2003)