Pheidole nebulosa

P. nebulosa occurs both on the forest floor and in the canopy of rainforest, nesting in irregular cavities of dead wood, in Tillandsia  epiphytes, and under dead bark and pads of moss (Longino 1997).

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
La Selva biological reserve and adjacent Braulio Carillo National Park to 300 m, Atlantic slope of Costa Rica (Longino 1997).

This taxon was described from Costa Rica.

Nomenclature

 *  nebulosa. Pheidole nebulosa Wilson, 2003: 470, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA. Senior synonym of scabriventris: Longino, 2009: 57.
 * scabriventris. Pheidole scabriventris Wilson, 2003: 503, figs. (s.w.) MEXICO. Junior synonym of nebulosa: Longino, 2009: 57.

Description
DIAGNOSIS Similar in various traits to Pheidole bilimeki, Pheidole chalca, Pheidole daphne, Pheidole floridana, Pheidole furtiva, Pheidole quercicola, Pheidole specularis and Pheidole stomachosa, differing as follows.

Major: bicolored, mostly yellow (see Color); hypostoma with 2 teeth only; promesonotal profile semicircular; humerus in dorsal-oblique view low and subangulate; all of mesosoma and waist and almost all of dorsal surface of head foveolate and opaque; all of first gastral tergite but the lateral margins shagreened; spaces between eyes and antennal fossae and anterior borders of head rugulose (not rugoreticulate or carinulate).

Minor: humerus in dorsal-oblique view low and subangulate; propodeal spines long, thin, and needle-like; postpetiolar node in side view suppressed; all of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque, but gaster entirely smooth and shiny, not shagreened.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.86, HL 0.92, SL 0.50, EL 0.12, PW 0.44. Paratype minor: HW 0.42, HL 0.46, SL 0.44, EL 0.06, PW 0.28.

COLOR Major: bicolored, with body and appendages medium yellow with light reddish tinge (tending to light “orange”), and with medium brown second to terminal gastral tergites.

Minor: concolorous medium yellow with slight reddish tinge.



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

Type Locality Information
COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia, col. Stefan Cover.

Etymology
L nebulosa, misty, cloudy, alluding to the general foveolate and shagreened body surface.

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