Pheidole providens (Sykes) - majors

Atta providens Sykes 1835: 103, illustrated major worker, type location India, Poona.

The photomontage of a paralectotype major worker of indica is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0906613.
The designation as paralectotype was by Eguchi (2004: 198).

Note: All the fresh specimens shown below are a nearly exact match for this.

MAJOR - new description - TL ca 4.5, CI 90-93, SI 52-58, OI 16, PPW/HW 46-49. Head in full face view with near straight sides, slightly diverging from front to back; with a deeply impressed occiput; longitudinal striations reaching the occiput and often strongly marked; with a distinct antennal scrobe that has weakly spiculate base sculpture. In profile the head evenly is convex below, but angular above; in full face view the vertex is distinctly impressed The mandibles are smooth and shiny but with distinct minute hairs pits. The clypeus also is smooth and shiny without a distinct median longitudinal carina. The frontal carinae long and almost straight, diverging relatively little after widening immediately behind the antennal insertion; the carinae reach almost to the occiput and apically turn forwards to create a shallow but distinct scrobes. Antennae with both scapes and funiculi slender but moderately long reaching back to the three-quarter point of the head; the antennal club comprises three quite short, elongated bead-like segments. The eye is quite small and near circular (10-11 facets long X 10 wide); set 1.5 X its own length back from the lateral margin of the clypeus. Hypostoma with no median tooth, moderately strong black submedian teeth and moderately strong black lateral teeth. The underside of the head is weakly striate, with a semicircular pattern anteriorly and shiny. The alitrunk profile is irregular with a high domed pro-mesonotum; there is a very distinct transverse welt on the mesonotum which angles downwards posteriorly into a shallow but quite wide metanotal groove. The propodeum profile is flat but slopes downwards from front to back, with strong but narrow triangular teeth; from above it is distinctly margined with a longitudinal impression that widens from front to back. The petiole in profile has a fairly long peduncle which rises evenly from the anterior to the top of the node; that is a moderately high oblique triangle with the upper margin narrowly rounded and entire, the posterior face is near vertical. The postpetiole is small and globular in profile; from above it is more than twice as wide as the petiole and has sharply conical lateral apices. The gaster is almost as large as the head and evenly globular, without a distinct anterior margin. Overall the erect pilosity is quite long, fine and abundant; on the front of the head there is an abundance of thicker erect hairs; on the gaster the hairs are shorter and even more abundant; the pubescence is short, adpressed but quite sparse. The sculpturation on the anterior of the head is of strong longitudinal striations with no reticulation, the posterior of the head on the sides also is striated; the alitrunk, apart from the pronotum dorsum which has fine curved transverse rugae, has strong longitudinal striations overlying loose puncturation, the dorsum of the propodeum is almost smooth. Overall the ant is quite shiny, with the gaster very smooth and glossy. The general colour is very variable from yellow-brown to red-brown even to near black, with the gaster much the same colour. The funiculi, legs and mandibles are uniformly lighter than the general colour.

The photomontage here is of a major worker from Egypt, Qaliobyia, collected by Mostafa Sharaf, 2002.

The photomontage is of a major worker from Israel, Tel Aviv Zoo, collected by Armin Ionescu; 20.iii.2007.

The photomontage is of a major worker from Israel, Tel Aviv University, Sherman, collected by Armin Ionescu; 20.iii.2007.

The "Pheidole teneriffana" specimens we have from Qaliobyia Egypt, and Tel Aviv, Israel, however, are a match for the Pheidole indica specimens shown on http://ant.edb.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/E/Taxo/F40603.html, where it is separated from P. fervens, by the dark-coloured body, larger eyes and upwardly directed propodeal spines in soldiers and workers