Pheidole rugatula

Nothing is known about the biology of rugatula.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality.

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

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  rugatula. Pheidole (Pheidole) risi var. rugatula Santschi, 1933e: 109 (s.w.) ARGENTINA. Raised to species: Wilson, 2003: 745.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS Similar in various traits to Pheidole aper, Pheidole bambusarum, Pheidole brevicona, Pheidole dyctiota, Pheidole laeviventris, Pheidole lutzi, Pheidole risii, Pheidole senilis,Pheidole sigillata, Pheidole trachyderma and Pheidole traini, differing as follows.

Major: rugoreticulum confined to small patch posterior to antennal fossa on each side of head; entire rest of head carinulate except frontal triangle and mid-clypeus; all of dorsal surface of mesosoma transversely carinulate, and carinulae on pronotal dorsum curve down to pronotal sides as rugulae; hairs along posterior dorsal half of head profile of uniform short length, about half of Eye Length, and those along anterior dorsal half mostly 1.5–2.0! as long; postpetiole from above spinose.

Minor: posterior third of head and all of promesonotal dorsum rugoreticulate; propodeal spines reduced to denticles; occiput only slightly narrowed, but with nuchal collar.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.34, HL 1.38, SL 0.70, EL 0.14, PW 0.74. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.62, SL 0.60, EL 0.06, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major: body dark reddish brown, appendages dark yellow.

Minor: body plain medium brown, appendages brownish yellow.



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

Type Material
ARGENTINA: Loreto, Misiones. - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
L rugatula, with little wrinkles (rugulae). (Wilson 2003)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Cuezzo, F. 1998. Formicidae. Chapter 42 in Morrone J.J., and S. Coscaron (dirs) Biodiversidad de artropodos argentinos: una perspectiva biotaxonomica Ediciones Sur, La Plata. Pages 452-462.
 * Fleck M. D., E. Bisognin Cantarelli, and F. Granzotto. 2015. Register of new species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Rio Grande do Sul state. Ciencia Florestal, Santa Maria 25(2): 491-499.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Santschi F. 1933. Fourmis de la République Argentine en particulier du territoire de Misiones. Anales de la Sociedad Cientifica Argentina. 116: 105-124.
 * Vittar, F. 2008. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la Mesopotamia Argentina. INSUGEO Miscelania 17(2):447-466
 * Wild, A. L. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.