Pheidole mentita Santschi

Type location Guinea (Pheidole mentita n.sp., Santschi, 1914d: 338, major, minor & queen) from Kindia, collector F. Silvestri - see below
major, minor and queen described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Note: Separated here Pheidole pullata (Pheidole mentita var. pullata n. var., Santschi, 1914d: 339, major & minor) from Guinea, at Camayenne, F. Silvestri

Santschi's (1914d) description, together with pullata, is at .

The photomontage of the type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913348.

Note: the Antweb images appear to lack colour apart from the overwhelming magents tint. Santschi (1914d) described it as reddish-brown.

The photomontage of a type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913349.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Pheidole mentita B Taylor det.

Senegal Lamine Diamé 59

20.ii.2013 Sindia 14°34'23.13"N 17°02'17.44"W

Sindia, 30 m Ensa (S. saiche) tube 02 2 major & 3 minor workers

5

The photomontage is of a major worker from Senegal; Sindia (14°34’23.13’’N; 17°02’17.44’’W – 30m), 20.II.2013; collector Lamine Diamé (59).

TL ca 4.8 mm, HL 1.42, HW 1.54, SL 0.90, PW 0.70, CI 108, SI 59. Head finely striate to about 2/3 point, the occiput smooth frontal carina distinct to almost the same level, genae more coarsely striate; mandibles coarsely striate, with large paired apical teeth and a wide dark inner margin; clypeus with median and lateral carinae; underside of head smooth, hypostoma with thickened margin but no median or submedian teeth, strong laterla teeth, lower edge of mandibles narrow and deeply grooved; well marked mesonotal welt, metanotal groove also well defined, laterally with distinct cross bars, propodeum profile with a flat dorsum, from above with distinct margination, propodeal spines from above curved outwards and sharp; petiole with long peduncle, the node narrow in profile and with impressed upper margin, postpetiole subglobular, with shiny dorsum; gaster brightly shiny. Quite long erect hairs on all of body.TL ca 4.8 mm, HL 1.42, HW 1.54, SL 0.90, PW 0.70, CI 108, SI 59. Head finely striate to about 2/3 point, the occiput smooth frontal carina distinct to almost the same level, genae more coarsely striate; mandibles coarsely striate, with large paired apical teeth and a wide dark inner margin; clypeus with median and lateral carinae; underside of head smooth, hypostoma with thickened margin but no median or submedian teeth, strong laterla teeth, lower edge of mandibles narrow and deeply grooved; well marked mesonotal welt, metanotal groove also well defined, laterally with distinct cross bars, propodeum profile with a flat dorsum, from above with distinct margination, propodeal spines from above curved outwards and sharp; petiole with long peduncle, the node narrow in profile and with impressed upper margin, postpetiole subglobular, with shiny dorsum; gaster brightly shiny. Quite long erect hairs on all of body.TL ca 4.8 mm, HL 1.42, HW 1.54, SL 0.90, PW 0.70, CI 108, SI 59. Head finely striate to about 2/3 point, the occiput smooth frontal carina distinct to almost the same level, genae more coarsely striate; mandibles coarsely striate, with large paired apical teeth and a wide dark inner margin; clypeus with median and lateral carinae; underside of head smooth, hypostoma with thickened margin but no median or submedian teeth, strong laterla teeth, lower edge of mandibles narrow and deeply grooved; well marked mesonotal welt, metanotal groove also well defined, laterally with distinct cross bars, propodeum profile with a flat dorsum, from above with distinct margination, propodeal spines from above curved outwards and sharp; petiole with long peduncle, the node narrow in profile and with impressed upper margin, postpetiole subglobular, with shiny dorsum; gaster brightly shiny. Quite long erect hairs on all of body.TL ca 4.8 mm, HL 1.42, HW 1.54, SL 0.90, PW 0.70, CI 108, SI 59. Head finely striate to about 2/3 point, the occiput smooth frontal carina distinct to almost the same level, genae more coarsely striate; mandibles coarsely striate, with large paired apical teeth and a wide dark inner margin; clypeus with median and lateral carinae; underside of head smooth, hypostoma with thickened margin but no median or submedian teeth, strong laterla teeth, lower edge of mandibles narrow and deeply grooved; well marked mesonotal welt, metanotal groove also well defined, laterally with distinct cross bars, propodeum profile with a flat dorsum, from above with distinct margination, propodeal spines from above curved outwards and sharp; petiole with long peduncle, the node narrow in profile and with impressed upper margin, postpetiole subglobular, with shiny dorsum; gaster brightly shiny. Quite long erect hairs on all of body.

The photomontage is of a minor worker from Senegal; Sindia (14°34’23.13’’N; 17°02’17.44’’W – 30m), 20.ii.2013; collector Lamine Diamé (59).

TL 3.3 mm, HL 0.67, HW 0.60, SL 0.87, PW 0.40; CI 92, SI 138; pro-mesonotum separated by distinct suture; metanotal groove well marked; propodeal spines divergent and raised, declivity vertical shorter than dorsum; gaster narrow, with transverse anterior from above; head superficially puncturate, genae with rugae, whole of alitrunk apart from pronotum dorsum smooth and shiny; mesonotum and propodeum densely puncturate and matt; reddish brown, postpetiole and gaster more yellow brown, extremities lighter yellowish or rust