Pheidole drepanon

The type colony was collected in tropical evergreen forest. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Pheidole drepanon is a Dominican Republic endemic; it is known from close to a dozen collections in Pedernales and Monte Cristo Provinces. P. drepanon may also occur in Haiti, especially since the type locality is close to the border.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Dominican Republic, Greater Antilles.

Biology
Nests are made in the ground. Nest chambers have been found under rocks in higher elevation evergreen forest. Foragers have been collected from the ground, in leaf litter and on vegetation. This species has been found from 115 m, in dry forest, up to more than 1,100 m in pine forest.

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  drepanon. Pheidole drepanon Wilson, 2003: 409, figs. (s.w.) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

Description
Similar to the Dominican endemic Pheidole harlequina, differing from it and all other Pheidole as follows.

Major: propodeal spines very thick, curved, sickle-shaped, and much longer than the propodeal basal face anterior to them; head and body bicolored as depicted; all of dorsal surface of head except for occipital margin carinulate and weakly rugulose; head slightly broader than long; petiolar peduncle very long; postpetiole from above diamond-shaped.

Minor: propodeal spines very thick, curved, and sickle-shaped, much longer than the propodeal basal face anterior to them; body concolorous medium brown.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.04, HL 1.02, SL 0.70, EL 0.14, PW 0.50. Paratype minor: HW 0.48, HL 0.52, SL 0.64, EL 0.08, PW 0.32.

COLOR Major: body medium brown except for the front of the head (as depicted), as well as dorsum of promesonotum and anterior half of first gastral tergite, which are brownish yellow. Minor: body concolorous medium brown, appendages light to yellowish brown.



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

Type Material
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (GREATER ANTILLES): Sierra de Baoruco, N. Cabo Rojo, Km 23, near Pedernales, 500 m, col. William L. and Doris E. Brown.

Etymology
Gr drepanon, sickle, alluding to the propodeal spines.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Perez-Gelabert D. E. 2008. Arthropods of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti): A checklist and bibliography. Zootaxa 1831:1-530.
 * Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press