Pheidole jordanica Saulcy
  Type location Jordan
(Saulcy, 1874: 17, major & minor) - no images available on Antweb
(November 2014)
junior synonyms
obtusa (Pheidole megacephala F. r. obtusa
n. v., Stitz, 1917: 340,
illustrated, major; synonymy Finzi, 1936: 171) from Egypt - see
below
schmitzi (Pheidole
Schmitzi, n. sp.,
Forel, 1911h: 455, major, minor & queen) from Israel - no
images available on Antweb (November 2014)
major, minor and queen described (see Bolton, 1995).
|
 Saulcy's
(1874) description is at  . Emery (1889a) had the
note  Forel's (1911h) description of schmitzi
is at  ). Emery (1915j: 233) gave an illustrated
description and comparision with sinaitica; this is at  Stitz's (1917) description of obtusa
is at  . Finzi (1936: 161) gave notes, these are
at  .
With the receipt of specimens from El Minia, Egypt,
Mostaf Sharaf and I have separated Pheidole laticeps
(Mayr) as a distinct species.
|
 From the Forel
(1911h) description of schmitzi,
it appears that there is a transverse welt on the mesonotum and the
postpetiole is rhomboidal; if so, the species is likely to fall into
the fervens species-group. The photographs of minor workers from Iran,
below, show a rhomboidal postpetiole and show longitudinal rugae on the
genae similar to those on the Pheidole fervens
minor. The anterior clypeal margin is distinctly produced forward with
a straight margin; the clypeus also appears to be bicarinate.
Collingwood (1985: 253) separated jordanica in
his key as having the "Postpetiole longer than broad,about 0.2 X HW;
funiculus segment 2 scarcely longer than broad". Collingwood &
Agosti (1996: 323) added - Measurements SI 0.675; HW/PPW 0.227 (PPW =
postpetiole width).
Reported from Sudan but the location was
Khartoum (Karavaiev, 1911), and therefore it is not a true sub-saharan
species.
Egypt records - recorded from Cairo by Emery
(1889a: 442); junior synonym Pheidole
megacephala r. obtusa Stitz (1917: 340, illustrated,
soldier). 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
what presumably is the
type major worker of obtusa (from the location label and the
Museum - Stiz collection? and that it matches the Stitz drawing) is
collated
from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent09065161.
It is matched also by the major workers shown below or
in the museum folders.
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Oxford University Museum
specimens
Pheidole jordanica
B Taylor det.
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Israel
A Ionescu
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19.iii.2007
Tel Aviv Zoo
32°5’0” N
34°49’0” E
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.
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5
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 |
Pheidole jordanica
B Taylor det.
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Egypt
M Sharaf
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7.iii.2003
Aswan
24°05' N
32°56' E
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Nagh Ghalalab
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2
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Pheidole jordanica
B Taylor det.
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Egypt
M Sharaf
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17.viii.2007
Marsah Matrouh
24°05' N
32°56' E
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.
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3
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Pheidole jordanica
B Taylor det.
queen & workers
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Saudi Arabia
M Sharaf
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17.iv.2008
Dalaghan
18°05' N
42°43' E
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5
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Pheidole jordanica
B Taylor det. |
Saudi Arabia
M Sharaf
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18.i.2008
Wadi Abha
18°12'19” N
42°30'19” E
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3
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Pheidole jordanica
B Taylor det. |
Yemen
J Batelka
ex P Hlavac
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3.xi.2010
Sana'a gov.
15°03.7' N
44°44.6' E
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2510 m
Jabal Haraz Mts
S of Manakha Vill.
Host of Paussus vougemontianus
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3
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 For more examples see Workers.
The photomontage is of
a major from Egypt, Nagh Ghalalab; collector Mostafa Sharaf.
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 The photomontage is of
a minor from Egypt,
Nagh Ghalalab, collector Mostafa Sharaf.
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 The photomontage is of
a queen from Saudi Arabia, Dalaghan, collector Mostaf Sharaf.
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