Pheidole lucaris Wilson, 2003, new species

Pheidole lucaris new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L lucaris, from a grove, referring to the type locality.

Diagnosis A medium sized, concolorous brown member of the flavens group characterized in the major by a somewhat flattened head in side view; relatively long, abundant, erect hairs on the mesosoma, waist, and gaster; short, equilateral propodeal spine in side view; longitudinal carinulae (but no rugoreticulum) covering the anterior dorsal half of the head, with middle section of clypeus smooth; postpetiolar node seen from above trapezoidal; and mesosoma mostly smooth and shiny.

Similar in some but not all of these traits to chalca, delicata, and ulothrix, and differing in others, as well as in additional details of

body form, sculpturing, pilosity, and color, as variously indicated.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.82, HL 0.92, SL 0.54, EL 0.14, PW 0.44.

Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.50, SL 0.40, EL 0.08, PW 0.28.

Color Major: body dark brown, appendages medium brown.

Minor: body medium brown, tarsi yellow, and remainder of appendages light brown.

range Known only from the type locality.

Biology The type colony was collected in Atlantic lowland rainforest.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. BRAZIL: Caraguatatuba Reserve, Sao Paulo state, 40-80 m (William L. and Doris E. Brown). Scale bars = 1 mm.