Pheidole caffra Emery
  Type location South
Africa (Pheidole caffra
n. sp., Emery, 1895h: 33, major; Santschi, 1939b: 239, minor) - see
major below
junior synyonym (here)
montivaga (Pheidole
caffra
Em. v. montivaga n. var.,
Santschi, 1939b: 240, illustrated, all forms)
from Zimbabwe - see below
all forms described (see Bolton, 1995)  .
|
 Emery's
(1895h) description is at  . Arnold (1920a: 478)
gave a translation,
this is at  Santschi's (1939b) description of montivaga
is at  . Santschi (1939b) gave
an illustrated comparison of the type with montivaga and abyssinica,
this is at  .
The last indicates that abyssinica is not a
subspecies of caffra.
It is quite clear from the original Emery
description that true caffra does not have strongly marked
sculpturation on the occiput and the frontal carinae reach the
posterior quarter of the head; the colour also is given as ferruginous
dull with the gaster piceous and shiny. It is my view that the common
fault of Forel in defining subspecies or varieties rather than species
led to confusion. Therefore, I have raised the quite distinctive Pheidole bayeri
Forel and at least Pheidole
senilifrons Wheeler to species (the latter with thysvillensis
as a probable junior synonym). The availability of cotype photographs
of abyssinica show that also to be a separate species Pheidole
abyssinica Forel with amoena as a junior synonym
|
 The photomontage of the
type major worker is collated
from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0904210.
|
 The photomontage of the montivaga type
major worker is collated
from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913284.
|
 The photomontage of the montivaga type
minor worker is collated
from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913285.
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Note the major worker of amoeana shown at
http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0907815
appears similar to the major of Pheidole senilifrons.
Note the minor worker shown at http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0904211
is not caffra. It appears very similar to the minor of Pheidole bequaerti.
|
Oxford University Museum
specimens
Pheidole caffra
B Taylor det. |
Central African
Republic
P Annoyer
LS
|
15.xi.2010
Dzanga-Sangha
2°27'11.6"N
16°04'58.7"E
|
343 m; jour, à vue
derrière le village, Molongo, strate arbustive (Casside land)
|
2
|
 |
Pheidole caffra
B Taylor det. |
Central African
Republic
P Annoyer
MI
|
19.xi.2010
Dzanga-Sangha
2°28'45.9"N
16°13'15.0"E
|
396 m; nuit, à vue,
au camp de transit 2 (près lac 1)
major worker
|
1
|
|
Pheidole caffra
B Taylor det. |
Sudan
Awatif Omer
2013.02.25
|
2013
Abu Hijar
12˚52' N
34˚0' E
|
hand collected
major worker
|
1
|
|
Pheidole caffra
B Taylor det.
male
|
Sudan
Awatif Omer
2013.02.32
|
2013
Abu Hijar
12˚52' N
34˚0' E |
hand collected
probable identification
|
|
|
|
 The photomontage is of a
major from Central African Republic; Dzanga-Sangha NP;
collector P. Annoyer (CAR MI).
|
 The photomontage is of a
minor from Central African Republic; Dzanga-Sangha NP;
collector P. Annoyer (CAR LS).
|
 The photomontage
is of a major from Sudan, Abu Hijar, collector Awatif Omer. TL ca 4.5
mm, HL 1.40, HW 1.33
|
 The photomontage
is of a probable male from Sudan, Abu Hijar, collector Awatif Omer. TL
ca 4.5
mm, HL 1.40, HW 1.33
|
 The photomontage
is of a major from Ethiopia, sent to me by Peter Hlavac and in
his personal collection.
A full set of images can be seen in
|
 The photomontage
is of a second major from Ethiopia, sent to me by Peter Hlavac and in
his personal collection.
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