Pheidole rohani Santschi

Type location Angola (Pheidole Rohani n. sp., Santschi, 1925h: 160, illustrated, minor; Santschi, 1930b: 62, major) minor from between "Kapalongo and Dongo, December 1912" - see below
the major from Cakunda (label has "Cakinda, Monard, 1925") is probably not monardi - see below.
junior synonyms (here)
monardi (Pheidole monardi n. sp., Santschi, 1930b: 65, illustrated, minor; stirps Santschi, 1937d: 219) from Angola, Rio Mbalé, Monard, 10 workers - see below.
pellax (Pheidole rohani Sants. st. pellax, n. stirps, Santschi, 1930b: 63, illustrated, major & minor) from Angola, Rio Mbalé, Monard - see below.
major & minor described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Santschi's (1925h) description is at . Santschi's (1930b) description, is at ; with monardi and pellax at and . The reduction of monardi from species to "stirps" or subspecies by Santschi (1937d, he uses both in the same sentence) is accompanied by the note that monardi is a little bigger and the head more reticulate behind.

Notes:

1. The three type minor workers shown below appear almost identical, with no obviously significant characters on which to separate them. Santschi (1930b, separated the pellax minor as having a slightly narrower head than the rohani minor. Although the location was the same, he made no comparisons between the pellax and monardi minors.

2. I doubt strongly that the major worker shown below (CASENT0913423) and currently bearing the label as the rohani type is the correct major. From Santschi (1930b), the head shape, and the open mandible in his drawing does not match the specimen, neither, most tellingly does the shape of the postpetiole, which is his drawing is like that of the pellax major, i.e.  elliptical without elongated sides. Santschi gave the size as ranging from TL 7 to 9 mm.  Santschi's notes drew attention to the similarity with Pheidole excellens. The CASENT0913423 major is almost identical, apart from colour pattern, with the major of P. excellens fulvobasalis (CASENT0913306); at present the Mayr type of excellens is not available on Antweb. The minors of rohani and excellens are readily separated, not least by the spiculate sculpture on the head of the latter.

Updated Note (February 2016): Antweb having photographed most of the Mayr types in Vienna, I have separated Pheidole fulvobasalis from P. excellens.

The photomontage of the pellax type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913426.

As the minor of pellax is identical to the rohani type minor. I feel this represents the true major of the species.

The photomontage of a type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913424.

The photomontage of the pellax type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913427.

The photomontage of the monardi type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913427.

The photomontage of the "rohani" type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913423. Very similar to the major of Pheidole fulvobasalis.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Pheidole rohani pellax B Taylor det.	Benin J-F Vayssieres RVA 3075.3	13.iii.2013 Koro 09°22'21'' N 02°40'13'' E	Mangifera indica orchard prey of Oecophylla longinoda 1600-1700 h minor	1
Pheidole rohani pellax B Taylor det. / smaller than type	Congo Y Braet t-1-15	19.viii.2007 Brazzaville 4° 15' 33" S 15° 17' 5" E	24h pitfall trap; forest around the GERDIB laboratories; 317 m asl	1
Pheidole rohani monardi B Taylor det. /	Central African Republic P Annoyer MV	21.xi.2010 Dzanga-Sangha 2°28'49.5"N 16°12'55.9"E	392 m; nuit, UV, Azobé, Canopée, 45 m, 18h30 - 5h30, orages alentours	1

The photomontage is of a worker from Central African Republic, Dzangha-Sanga; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR MV).