Pheidole rogeri

Nests in soil in wet forests; the colonies are difficult to locate during excavation even when the nests are opened carefully (Longino 1997).

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Atlantic slope of Costa Rica to 800 m (Longino 1997).

This taxon was described from Costa Rica.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS A very large species with “brick red” (clear light reddish brown) majors and brownish yellow minors.

Major and minor with extremely long propodeal spines.

Major: all of anterior dorsal three-fourths of head covered by densely packed parallel longitudinal carinae; mesonotal convexity low, subangulate in side view; anterior margin of postpetiolar surface projecting as a small toothlike process in side view.

Similar to Pheidole alpinensis, Pheidole exarata, Pheidole excubitor, Pheidole germaini, Pheidole grandinodus, Pheidole obrima, Pheidole stulta, Pheidole tristis and Pheidole zoster, differing in many details of body form, sculpturing, and pilosity, as illustrated, and in color.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Unique holotype major: HW 2.40, HL 2.64, SL 1.06, EL 0.24, PW 1.12. Minor (La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica): HW 0.68, HL 0.84, SL 1.04, EL 0.14, PW 0.46.

COLOR Major: the holotype is a rich concolorous light reddish brown (“brick red”), with a yellowish tinge. Majors in the La Selva Biological Station series have the brick red color in the head, mesosoma, and waist, but the gaster is plain medium brown, and the propodeal spines are blackish brown; and in addition, faint iridescent blue reflections can be seen on the dorsal surface of the body in certain angles of light.

Minor: brownish yellow overall.



'''Figure. Upper: major (compared with unique holotype major in Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova). Lower: minor. COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia (D. Roth). Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
“Jiménez,” near Guápiles, Costa Rica. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
Eponymous. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Emery, C. 1896. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica, XVII–XXV. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 28: 33–107.

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