Pheidole schmalzi

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

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Santa Catarina and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Bolivia; Venezuela. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  schmalzi. Pheidole dimidiata var. schmalzi Emery, 1894c: 161 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Raised to species and senior synonym of rata, rehi: Wilson, 2003: 504.
 * rehi. Pheidole rehi Forel, 1900e: 285 (s.w.q.m.) VENEZUELA. Junior synonym of schmalzi: Wilson, 2003: 504.
 * rata. Pheidole rata Borgmeier, 1929: 206, pl. 6, fig. 2; pl. 7, fig. 6 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of schmalzi: Wilson, 2003: 504.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS A medium-sized reddish yellow to brown member of the flavens group; both major and minor are immediately recognizable by the large, “shark-fin” shape of the humerus in dorsal-oblique view, meaning that the anterior margin is straight and the posterior margin convex in profile, tipped with an acute or right angle. Very similar to Pheidole angulifera, and in varying degree also to Pheidole arhuaca, Pheidole caulicola, Pheidole chalca, Pheidole chalcoides, Pheidole mincana, Pheidole sagana, Pheidole tambopatae and Pheidole tragica in overall appearance but distinctive in the humeral shape and other traits in body shape, sculpture, pilosity, and color.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 0.94, HL 0.94, SL 0.46, EL 0.10, PW 0.48. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.54, SL 0.58, EL 0.08, PW 0.34.

COLOR Lectotype major of schmalzi: body and appendages light brown, waist and gaster dark brown (rehi syntype major is yellowish brown; rata syntype major is light reddish yellow).

Paralectotype minors of schmalzi: body light to medium brown, appendages light brown. Syntype minors of synonymous rehi and rata: light brown.



'''Figure. Upper: major (syntype of synonymous P. rata Borgmeier). Lower: minor (syntype of synonymous P. rata Borgmeier). BRAZIL: Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, type locality of synonymous P. rata. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
Named after the collector “Signor Schmalz.” (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Emery, C. 1894. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica, VI–XVI. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 26: 137–241.

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