Abstract
The hyperdiverse ant genus Pheidole has its center of diversity in the New World, where over 600 species occur. In spite of recent revisonary work (Wilson 2003) new species continue to be discovered and understanding of geographic variation of named species continues to improve. In this report new species and taxonomic changes are proposed for the Central American fauna. The following new species are described: P. bigote, P. branstetteri, P. carinote, P. debilis, P. eowilsoni, P. epiphyta, P. fossimandibula, P. gymnoceras, P. janzeni, P. karolmorae, P. karolsetosa, P. lagunculinoda, P. leoncortesi, P. mesomontana, P. pararugiceps, P. phanigaster, P. picobarva, P. purpurea, P. rhinomontana, P. sebofila, P. sparsisculpta, P. synanthropica, and P. tenuicephala. The following new synonymy is proposed, with the senior synonym listed first and the junior synonym(s) in parentheses: P. angusticeps Wilson (= P. gradifera Wilson); P. arachnion Wilson (= P. iracunda Wilson); P. bilimeki Mayr (=P. rectiluma Wilson); P. boliviana Wilson (= P. mincana Wilson, P. scitula Wilson); P. boltoni Wilson (= P. humida Wilson); P. deceptrix Forel (=P. chiapasana Wilson, P. variceps Wilson); P. erratilis Wilson (= P. petersoni Wilson); P. exarata Emery (= P. grantae Forel); P. harrisonfordi Wilson (= P. prolixa Wilson, P. ruida Wilson, P. tenebra Wilson); P. laselva Wilson (=P. ebenina Wilson); P. mooreorum Wilson (= P. fariasana Wilson); P. nebulosa Wilson (= P. scabriventris Wilson); P. nitidicollis Emery (= P. sagana Wheeler); P. perpusilla Emery (= P. breviscapa Forel); P. pubiventris Mayr (= P. variegata Emery, P. indistincta Forel); P. radoszkowskii Mayr (= P. medialis Wilson); P. sculptior Forel (= P. tayrona Wilson); P. susannae Forel (= P. obscurior Forel and its synonym P. partita Mayr); P. texticeps Wilson (= P. perdiligens Wilson); P. vorax (Fabricius) (= P. cephalica F. Smith and its synonyms P. opaca Mayr, P. incrustata Forel, P. sarrita Forel, P. apterostigmoides Weber); P. walkeri Mann (= P. arietans Wilson, P. glyphoderma Wilson, P. triumbonata Wilson). Pheidole innupta Menozzi is removed from synonymy under P. alfaroi and revalidated.References
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