Pheidole acutidens

P. acutidens is a permanent workerless parasite of Pheidole nitidula. The discoverer of this remarkable species, Carlos Bruch (1931), has provided extensive notes on its anatomy, ecology, behavior, and life cycle. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  acutidens. Bruchomyrma acutidens Santschi, 1922d: 249, figs. A-D (q.) ARGENTINA. Bruch, 1931: 31 (m.). Combination in Pheidole: Wilson, 1984: 327. See also: Wheeler, W.M. 1937c: 52; Wilson, 2003: 260.

Description
From Wilson (2003): An extreme workerless social parasite of Pheidole nitidula, with adaptations that make it unique within the genus.

Queen: with 9- to 11-segmented antennae and minute, falcate toothless mandibles that taper to needle-sharp points.

Male: pupiform, with mandibles vestigial or absent.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Syntype queen: HW 0.40, HL 0.42, SL 0.72, EL 0.12, PW 0.58.

COLOR Queen: yellowish brown.



'''Figure. Queen. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
ARGENTINA: La Plata, Buenos Aires, col. Carlos Bruch. Type locality: Alta Gracia (La Granja). Sierra de Córdoba, Argentina. - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
L acutidens, sharp-pointed tooth apparently referring to the reduced, acute mandible. (Wilson 2003)