Pheidole juniperae

The species was found by Stefan Cover in juniper-oak-pinyon savanna with a grassy understory. The nest openings were cryptic and in most cases surmounted by a minute turret of vegetable fibers. No seeds were found in the nests. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known from several collections at the type locality at 1660–1675 m. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States.

Nomenclature

 *  juniperae. Pheidole juniperae Wilson, 2003: 440, figs. (s.w.) U.S.A.

Description
DIAGNOSIS Similar in various traits to Pheidole chalca of Mexico, Pheidole mera of Texas, and Pheidole neolongiceps of Cuba, differing as follows.

Major: yellow; shallow antennal scrobe present; carinulae originating on frontal lobes travel posteriorly all the way to but not across the occiput, which is smooth and sprinkled with foveae; space between eye and antennal fossa on each side of head rugoreticulate; almost all of mesosoma smooth and shiny; center of promesonotal dorsum in side view flat; postpetiole from above elliptical, with angulate lateral margins.

Minor: eye large, Eye Length almost a fourth of Head Width, and nearly as long as distance from eye to anterior clypeal margin; occiput very broad, its margin weakly concave; propodeal spines small, in side view equilaterally triangular.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.80, HL 0.94, SL 0.42, EL 0.14, PW 0.50. Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.46, SL 0.38, EL 0.08, PW 0.26.

COLOR Major: concolorous medium yellow, with mandibles a slightly darker shade.

Minor: concolorous medium yellow.



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

Type Material
ARIZONA: 11 km west-northwest of Montezuma Pass, Huachuca Mts., Cochise Co., 1660 m, col. Stefan Cover.

Etymology
Named after the prevailing tree of the type locality habitat.

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
 * Johnson R. Personnal Database. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/resources.htm
 * Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press