Pheidole laevithorax Eguchi, 2008, sp.n.
Creators: name: Eguchi, K.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Pheidole
Pheidole laevithorax

description: Pheidole laevithorax sp.n.
Figs. 13a-g
Pheidole sp. eg-174 (cf. protea Forel). Eguchi, Bui et al. 2005: 91 (checklist).
Type material examined: Holotype: major, Ba Vi N.P., 21°03'N, 105°22'E, 670 m alt., Ha Tay (misspelled as Ha Tai on the label), N. Vietnam [K. Eguchi leg., colony: Eg01-VN-230] (IEBR); paratypes: 11 majors & 12 minors from the same colony as holotype (IEBR, MCZC, MHNG & ACEG).
Other material examined: N. Vietnam: Bac Giang: W. Yen Tu N.P. (=Tay Yen Tu N.P.), 21°10'N, 106°43'E, 1070 m alt. [Eg03-VN-122]; Quang Ninh: Chua Yen Tu, 21°09'N, 106°43'E, 720-845 m alt. [Eg04-VN-069]; Ha Tay (misspelled as Ha Tai): Ba Vi N.P., 21°03'N, 105°22'E, 800 m alt. [Eg02-VN-050, - 053, -055, -067, -069, -076]. Eguchi's informal species code " Pheidole sp. eg-174" applies to this species.
Worker measurements & indices: Holotype (major). - HL 1.34 mm; HW 1.28 mm; CI 96; SL 0.76 mm; SI 59; FL 1.00 mm; FI 78.
Nontype major (n=4). - HL 1.25-1.33 mm; HW 1.21-1.23 mm; CI 92-98; SL 0.75-0.79 mm; SI 62-65; FL 0.97-1.02 mm; FI 79-83.
Minor (n=4, including one paratype minor). - HL 0.63-0.70 mm; HW 0.53-0.58 mm; CI 84; SL 0.76- 0.84 mm; SI 141-145; FL 0.82-0.90 mm; FI 154-156. Worker description
Major. - Head in lateral view not or hardly impressed on vertex; frons rugose longitudinally; vertex rugoso-reticulate longitudinally or reticulate; dorsal and dorsolateral faces of vertexal lobe reticulate; frontal carina conspicuous; antennal scrobe inconspicuous to weak; clypeus without a median longitudinal carina; median process of hypostoma low or inconspicuous; submedian processes low or moderately developed; lateral processes developed well, located rather ventrally; antenna with a 3-segmented club; maximal diameter of eye longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome in dorsal view smooth to shagreened with several weak transverse rugulae, in lateral view with a low mound (as in the holotype) or a conspicuous prominence on its posterior slope; humerus of the dome not produced; the dome at the humeri narrower than at the bottom. Petiole as long as or a little shorter than postpetiole (excluding helcium); petiolar node in lateral view subangulate dorsally; postpetiole massive. First gastral tergite smooth and shining entirely.
Minor. - Frons and vertex smooth and shining; area between antennal insertion and eye with several weak rugulae or weakly rugoso-punctate; preoccipital carina conspicuous dorsally and laterally; median part of clypeus smooth and shining, without a median longitudinal carina; antenna with a 3-segmented club; scape extending far beyond posterolateral margin of head; maximal diameter of eye a little shorter than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome smooth to shagreened dorsally, and largely smooth laterally; the dome in lateral view with a low or inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; humeral area of the dome in dorsooblique view neither strongly rugose nor armed with a prominence; mesopleuron, metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum dimly to weakly punctured at least partly. Petiole shorter than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole massive.
Recognition: This species is characterized by the combination of the following features (see also the recognition of P. rugithorax sp.n.): in the major head in lateral view not impressed on vertex; in the minor frons and vertex smooth and shining; in the major dorsal and lateral faces of vertexal lobe reticulate; in the major frontal carina conspicuous, and antennal scrobe inconspicous or very weak; in the major hypostoma with a low or inconspicuous median process and a pair of low or moderately developed submedian processes, and with conspicuous lateral processes which are located rather ventrally; in the minor promesonotal dome smooth to shagreened dorsally, and largely smooth laterally; in the minor dorsolateral part of the dome neither margined nor armed with a humeral prominence; posterior slope of the dome with a low mound or a conspicuous prominence in the major, and a low or inconspicuous mound in the minor; in the major and minor postpetiole massive.
P. laevithorax is closest to P. rugithorax sp.n. (see under P. rugithorax). P. laevithorax is also similar to P. noda, but the latter has the following characteristics in the major: head in full-face view rather broadly concave posteriorly; dorsum of head sparsely bearing standing setae which are much longer and distinctly thicker than background hairs (many short decumbent-suberect hairs).
description: Published as part of Eguchi, K., 2008, A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)., pp. 1-118 in Zootaxa 1902 on pages 49-52