Pheidole alpinensis

Pheidole alpinensis (lat.) - a species of ants of the genus Pheidole from the subfamily Myrmicinae ( Formicidae ). Neotropics : Brazil . Small ants (about 2 mm long) are yellowish brown (the large-headed soldiers characteristic of other members of the genus Pheidole are twice as large with a reddish-brown color and prominent angular humeral protuberance of the pronotum; the first tergite of the abdomen is slightly shagged). There are sharp spikes on the propodeum. The body is covered with sparse bristles. The antennae of workers and females are 12-segmented (13 in males) with a 3-segmented mace. The stalk between the breast and the abdomen consists of two segments: the petiolus and postpetiolus (the latter is clearly separated from the abdomen). Small workers: the width of the head is 0.76 mm, the length of the head is 0.84 mm, the length of the scape of the antennae is 0.80 mm. Large workers (soldiers): the width of the head is 1.74 mm, the length of the head is 2.00 mm, the length of the scape of the antennae is 0.84 mm. They are similar in structure to the species Pheidole grandinodus , Pheidole exarata , Pheidole excubitor , Pheidole germaini , Pheidole zoster , Pheidole obrima , Pheidole rogeri , Pheidole stulta and Pheidole tristis from the Pheidole tristis group, differing from them with protruding, pronounced , angular , banded arms . The specific name is Ph. alpinensis is given according to the typical locus of detection (Colonia Alpina, Teresiopolis, Rio de Janeiro) ^{[1] [2]} .