The Ants of Africa

The Ants of Africa
Genus Pheidole
Pheidole pullata Santschi new status

megacephala-group - Major - head width and length equal or subequal; mandibles relatively slender, with at most reduced teeth or denticles; postpetiole trapezoidal but without elongated lateral prominences. Minors without or variable development of a nuchal collar.

megacephala-subgroup - TL > 3.3 mm

Pheidole pullata Santschi new status

Type location Guinea (Pheidole mentita var. pullata n. var., Santschi, 1914d: 339, major & minor) from Guinea, at Camayenne, F. Silvestri - see below
major and minor described .

Santschi's (1914d) description of mentita, and brief note on pullata, is at .

Pheidole pullata major The photomontage of the type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0913350.

Santschi noted this as: TL 4.2 mm. Differing from the type (P. mentita) in being black, the mandibles partly dull red, the tibiae and tarsi brown. More matt and also a little more strongly sculptured, the base of the gaster lightly punctate. The occiput slightly less impressed.

The minor TL 3 mm; colour as the major and slightly more red than the type, otherwise similar.

{Pheidole pullata minor The photomontage of a type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0913351.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Pheidole excellens B Taylor det.	Benin J-F Vayssieres RVA 2701	28.i.2011 Korobourou 09°22'13'' N 02°40'16'' E	Mangifera indica orchard on ground minor workers	3
Pheidole pullata B Taylor det.	Gabon L Volait Gabon 87	16.vii.2006 Pongara 00°34' N 09°19' E	Pointe Denis; savannah (pitfall trap, edge of beach) minor	8
Pheidole pullata B Taylor det.	Gabon Y Braet Gabon 35	20.vii.2006 Pongara 00°34' N 09°19' E	Pointe Wingombe; under trees, pitfall trap major	1
Pheidole pullata B Taylor det.	Gabon Y Braet Gabon 36	20.vii.2006 Pongara 00°34' N 09°19' E	Pointe Wingombe; under trees, pitfall trap	1
Pheidole pullata B Taylor det.	Gabon Y Braet Gabon 82	9.vi-26.vii.2006 Pongara 00°34' N 09°19' E	Pointe Wingombe, botanic path, malaise trap	1
Pheidole pullata B Taylor det.	Ghana S Sky Stephens 06G0076	2006		1
Pheidole pullata B Taylor det.	Ghana S Sky Stephens 06G0077	2006		1
Pheidole pullata B Taylor det.	Ghana S Sky Stephens 06G0081	2006		1

{Pheidole pullata Gabon 35 major} The photomontage is of a major from Gabon, Pongara National Park; Pointe Wingombé; 20.vii.2006; pitfall traps under forest cover; collector Yves Braet (Gabon 35).

Major: TL ca 4.7 mm, HL 1.48, HW 1.45, SL 0.81, PW 0.60; CI 96, SI 56; very deep red-brown

{Pheidole pullata Gabon 87 minor} The photomontage is of a minor from Gabon, collected by L Volait, 2006 (Gabon 87). Exactly matches the type minor.

Minor: TL ca 2.3 mm, TL ca 2.8 mm, HL 0.65, HW 0.50, SL 0.75, PW 0.52; CI 73, SI 182

{Pheidole pullata minor} The photomontage is of a minor worker from Benin, collector J-F Vayssieres (RVA2701).

{Pheidole pullata minor} The photomontage is of a minor from Ghana, collected by Sky Stephens (o6G0076).

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