Pheidole xyston

Philip Ward took the San Andrés Tuxtla series from a rotten log in cloud forest. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
From Wilson (2003): Known only from the type series and from a second series collected 11 km north of San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz, at 1400 m, col. P. S. Ward.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Guatemala, Mexico.

Nomenclature

 *  xyston. Pheidole xyston Wilson, 2003: 535, figs. (s.w.) MEXICO.

Description
DIAGNOSIS Similar to Pheidole ceibana, Pheidole lemnisca, Pheidole peltastes, Pheidole perkinsi, Pheidole renae and Pheidole tayrona, distinguished in the major by the rugoreticulate occiput, shallowly concave posterior cephalic profile, cornulate humerus, and posteriorly curving propodeal spine; and in the minor by the toothed humerus and relatively long, straight propodeal spine.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.70, HL 0.78, SL 0.44, EL 0.10, PW 0.40. Paratype minor: HW 0.42, HL 0.42, SL 0.40, EL 0.06, PW 0.26.

COLOR Major: mandibles and body medium brown, rest of appendages yellowish brown.



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

Type Material
MEXICO: 7 km north of Huatusco, Veracruz, 1280 m, col. A. Newton.

Etymology
Gr xyston, shaft of a spear, referring to the long propodeal spine of the minor.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
 * Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
 * Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press