Pheidole floricola

This species is only known from type specimens. The type series was collected from “inside philodendron fruit.” (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua.

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  floricola. Pheidole floricola Wilson, 2003: 423, figs. (s.w.) HONDURAS.

Description
Similar in various traits to Pheidole charazana, Pheidole dumicola, Pheidole pilispina, Pheidole sagana and Pheidole xyston. Distinguished as follows. Major: yellow; antennal scrobes present; rugoreticulum continuous all the way from the spaces between the eyes and antennal fossae posteriorly to and including the occiput; posterior half of sides and all of venter of head smooth; humerus in dorsal-oblique view subangulate; apex of petiolar node in side view very broad and rounded; all of pronotal dorsum carinulate, and rest of mesosoma solely foveolate; antennal funiculi with abundant, very long, erect hairs; femora swollen.

Minor: humeri with paired equilateral teeth, each of which bears a single long hair; posterior and lateral margins of head and all of mesosoma foveolate.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.80, HL 0.82, SL 0.46, EL 0.10, PW 0.44. Paratype minor: HW 0.46, HL 0.50, SL 0.42, EL 0.08, PW 0.30.

COLOR Major and minor: concolorous medium yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
HONDURAS: La Ceiba, Depto. Atlántida (collector unknown, probably W. L. Brown).

Etymology
Old French, L floricola, flower inhabitant.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
 * Ryder Wilkie K.T., A. L. Mertl, and J. F. A. Traniello. 2010. Species Diversity and Distribution Patterns of the Ants of Amazonian Ecuador. PLoS ONE 5(10): e13146.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0013146
 * Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press