Pheidole nebulosa

This species inhabits mature wet forest. It appears to be both arboreal and terrestrial, occurring commonly in forest floor leaf litter and in the canopy. Nests are in irregular cavities in dead wood. Wilson (2005) observed that P. nebulosa and two other species of small Pheidole (flavens and bilimeki) frequently prey on oribatid mites in the leaf litter.

Mexico to Costa Rica. Costa Rica: Atlantic lowlands.

Pheidole nebulosa has a highly distinctive feature in the major workers: there is a single large rounded medial tooth on the hypostomal margin and no inner hypostomal teeth. All other Central American Pheidole in the same size range and with similar sculptural features have inner hypostomal teeth.

Pheidole nebulosa Wilson, 2003a: 470, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA. Neotropic. AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Senior synonym of Pheidole scabriventris: Longino, 2009 PDF: 57.