Pheidole vallicola

Stefan Cover (unpublished collection notes) found vallicola to favor creek banks and open woodland with a wide range of species composition, from ponderosa pine to oak, pine-oak-juniper, and oak-mesquite-sumac. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Recorded by Stefan Cover in numerous collections at 1200–1900 m in the following mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona: Chiricahua, Dragoon, Huachuca, Pajarito, Pinal, and Sierra Ancha. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from the United States.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A member of the crassicornis group, similar to Pheidole crassicornis, Pheidole diversipilosa, Pheidole porcula and Pheidole tetra, but differing by the following combination of traits.

Major: pilosity consisting of sparse, very long hairs (some on first gastral tergite are 2! the maximum eye length); head in side view tapered toward occiput; rugoreticulum forms a broad swath from antennal fossa to eye on each side; carinulae along midline of dorsum of head continue to occiput; pronotum sparsely foveolate and feebly shining on sides, smooth and shiny on dorsum; postpetiole from above laterally subangulate.

Minor: petiolar node from side thin, and tapered toward apex; pilosity sparse, as illustrated; dorsum of head (except for frontal triangle and middle section of clypeus), all of mesosoma, and most of waist foveolate and opaque.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.34, HL 1.44, SL 0.80, EL 0.20, PW 0.64. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.70, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.44.

COLOR Major: body light reddish brown except for gaster, which is a slightly contrasting medium reddish brown.

Minor: concolorous medium reddish brown.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
From Wilson (2003): ARIZONA: Miller Canyon, Huachuca Mts., southeastern Arizona, col. W. M. Wheeler.

Etymology
L vallicola, valley dweller, referring to the habitat of the type colony. (Wilson 2003)