Pheidole fervens F Smith - minors

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The photomontage of a syntype minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0901519, accessed 15.x.2012.

MINOR - new description TL ca 2.5-2.7, HW ca 0.50-0.56, HL 0.60-0.62, SL 0.62-0.67, PW 0.31. Head a somewhat elongated oval; with a narrow nuchal collar. In profile the head is ovoid, with a weakly convex underside that has a concave area towards the posterior; the dorsum is more evenly convex. Mandibles long, with a strongly curved outer margin, apically the curve intensifies; the teeth are quite small; and with two small apical teeth. Anterior margin of clypeus straight or very shallowly impressed, without a median or any other carinae; with four-six usually quite fine forward facing long hairs; clypeus weakly convex and not obviously visible from the side. Frontal carinae very short and parallel; set quite far apart, almost half the width of the head at the level of the antennal insertions. Scapes moderately long and thick, expanding distinctly in the apical third, surpassing the occiput by no more than 1/5 of their length; funiculus about 25% longer than scape; the 3-segmented club has the apical segment only about one-third longer than the pre-apical segment; the pre-apical segments are about twice as long as they are wide; the club is about the same length as the rest of the funiculus. The eye is quite small and moderately strongly convex; weakly ovoid not much longer than wide (12 facets X 10 facets); the anteriormost point is less than its own length back from the anterior point of the genae. The alitrunk profile has the promesonotum evenly convex with the pro-mesonotal suture shallowly interrupting the profile; the anterior of the mesonotum is raised into a low transverse welt; the metanotal groove is distinct but shallowly impressed both dorsally and laterally; the propodeum has the dorsum weakly convex in profile and very faint lateral margination culminating in small triangular teeth, the declivity is almost vertical. The petiole has quite a short peduncle and a low triangular profile, with the apex rounded; the postpetiole has a low globular profile and from above is near circular and about 1.5 X the width of the petiole. The gaster is narrowly ovoid viewed from above but globular in profile; it has no obvious anterior margin. The legs are relatively long with moderately swollen femora. The whole of the head, body, antennae and legs bear fine, moderately long, erect hairs; these are fairly abundant on the head, both dorsally and ventrally. The scapes and legs have short decumbent and inconspicuous hairs. Overall very shiny with very little sculpturation other than puncturation on the whole of the mesonotum and the propodeum. Also the genae have three or four curved rugae. Overall yellow-brown or red-brown, with the gaster and head often darker than the rest of the body and appendages.

Material examined - Egypt 1 major and 3 minor workers from Egypt; Israel 2 major and 2 minor workers from Israel; 1 minor worker from the Canary Is.

The photomontage here is of a minor worker from Teneriffe, Canary Islands; collected and identified by Xavier Espadaler, El Médano; 13.xii.2002.

The photomontage is of a minor specimen from the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura, collected by David M King.

The photomontage here is of a minor wokrer from Spain; collected and identified by Xavier Espadaler, Hospitalet de l'Infant, Tarragona; 28.vii.2003.

The photomontage here is of a minor worker from Spain collected and identified by Xavier Espadaler, Torrevieja, Alicante.

The photomontage here is of a minor wokrer from Ibisa, Balearics; collected and identified by Xavier Espadaler, San Antonio de Portmany; 30.ix.2004.

The photomontage here is of a minor worker from Egypt, Sallant Mansurah; collected and identified by Mostafa Sharaf.

The photomontage here is of a minor worker from Egypt collected and identified by Mostafa Sharaf, Hawamdyia, Giza.

The above specimens, some originally labelled as P. teneriffana, clearly match the Eguchi (2001) illustration and description, although ours are bigger [Eguchi's (2001) note is at ].

Antweb minor from Hokkaido, Japan, apparently matching ours and those of Eguchi (2001); http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0008639&shot=p1&project=null