Pheidole pilosior

The type colony was collected by Cover in a heavily grazed creek floodplain forest, nesting beneath a stone in shade. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality in Texas.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States.

Nomenclature

 *  pilosior. Pheidole pilosior Wilson, 2003: 157, figs. (s.w.) U.S.A.

Description
A member of the crassicornis group, similar to Pheidole crassicornis, Pheidole diversipilosa, Pheidole porcula, Pheidole tetra and Pheidole vallicola, and differing in the following combination of traits.

Major: reddish to dark brown; rugoreticulum of head forms a broad swath from eye to frontal carinae; pilosity very dense, forming a thick fringe of short hairs around the head and a thick mat of hairs of short to medium length on the first gastral tergite; petiolar node in side view tapered to a blunt point at the apex; postpetiolar node laterally acute-angulate; basal segment of scape 2! broader than distal segment.

Minor: dark brown; posterior dorsal half of head and promesonotal dorsum smooth and shiny.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.54, HL 1.58, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.76. Paratype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.68, SL 0.74, EL 0.14, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: head rich medium reddish brown, with broad area of vertex covering central half of head capsule dark brown; body dark brown; legs medium brown.

Minor: most of body and antennae dark, almost blackish brown; lateral wings of clypeus and legs medium brown.



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

Type Material
TEXAS: Limpia Canyon creekbed, Davis Mts., Jeff Davis Co., southwestern Texas, col. Stefan Cover.

Etymology
L pilosior, hairier.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press