Pheidole gibbata

Ward’s Colombian series was sifted from litter and rotting wood in dry tropical forest (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
From Wilson (2003): Known from the type locality (Paramaribo, Suriname) and Cañaveral, Magdalena, Colombia, 200 m, col. Philip S. Ward.

This taxon was described from Surinam.

Nomenclature

 *  gibbata. Pheidole transversostriata subsp. gibbata Borgmeier, 1934: 101 (s.w.) SURINAM. Raised to species: Wilson, 2003: 636.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS A very small, yellowish brown member of the tachigaliae group, closest to Pheidole mendicula (q.v.) and differing from that species as follows.

Major: occiput transversely carinulate; rugoreticula present between eye and antennal fossa and on pronotal dorsum; transverse midpronotal carina less prominent and not protruding from dorsal pronotal profile in side view.

Minor: head and pronotum smooth and shiny.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 0.56, HL 0.60, SL 0.30, EL 0.08, PW 0.36. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.32, HL 0.38, SL 0.26, EL 0.06, PW 0.24.

COLOR Major: body medium yellowish brown except for gaster, which is light brown.

Minor: concolorous medium yellowish brown.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
SURINAME: Paramaribo. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
L gibbata, hump-backed, crooked. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Borgmeier, T. 1934. Contribuição para o conhecimento da fauna mirmecológica dos cafezais de Paramaribo, Guiana Holandesa (Hym. Formicidae). Arch. Inst. Biol. Veg. (Rio J.) 1: 93–111.

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