Pheidole laticeps (Mayr) - new status

MAJOR MINOR  Type location Egypt (Pheidole sinaitica Mayr, subsp. laticeps nov. subspec., Mayr, 1904b: 6, major & minor) collected from under a stone near Cairo.

Mayr's (1904b) description is at .

Francis Gilbert has translated the Mayr (1904b) description of Pheidole sinaitica ssp laticeps as -
The major has a clearly broader head than in the type [Pheidole sinaitica] ssp (Stammform = basic or original form), but not so wide as in Pheidole megacephala Fabr., the sculpture of the head reaches less behind so that the backwards-lying antennal stem, scape, obviously exceeds the longitudinal wrinkling of the head and the posterior quarter of the head is smooth, whilst in the type ssp the (antennal) stem reaches right to the rear end of the sculpturing which centrally stretches right to the outside edge of the posterior edge of the head so that only the posterior corners of the head forwards to the deepest outside edge of the posterior edge of the head are smooth. The spines of the propodeum [medial segment] are somewhat shorter than the type spp.
The worker is distinguished from the type ssp mainly by the shorter spines, which can also adopt the shape of teeth (not longer than their basal width). Found under stones on the bank of the Nile at Cairo.

Egypt records - recorded from Cairo by Emery (1889a: 442); in former HNS as Pheidole sinaitica subsp. laticeps Mayr (1904b: 6, major & minor) from under a stone at Nilufer near Cairo; Menozzi (1929e: 125) workers from Sinai oases at Feiran and Wadi Tarfa, collected by F S Bodenheimer. Alfieri (1931) listed one finding from Charkieh Province, Senchawa, 26.x.1925; also in Mohamed et al (2001).

Mohamad (1979) thesis had - Egypt (Det. Crawley, 1927) (Coll.Alf.) Gebel Elba, 22.i.1933 (Coll.Min.) Abu Mena, 8.iv.1954; Benha, 6.ii.1975; Cairo, 16.iii.,29.iv.1975; Alexandria, 27.iii.1975 (Coll.Ain.) Egypt (Det. Crawley, 1927) (Coll.Soc.)

The photomontage of the type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0906620.

The photomontage of the type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0906621.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Pheidole laticeps B Taylor det.	Egypt M Sharaf	22.viii.1995 Ras Elbar 31°31'30 N 31°50'26 E	pitfall trap	2
Pheidole laticeps B Taylor det.	Egypt M Sharaf	18.viii.1996 Ras Elbar 31°31'30 N 31°50'26 E	.	2

Major from Ras Elbar, 1995; collector M R Sharaf

Minor from Ras Elbar, 1995