The Ants of Africa
Genus Pheidole
Pheidole speculifera Emery

speculifera-group - major head with convex sides but distinctly widest posteriorly

Pheidole speculifera Emery

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Eritrea (Pheidole speculifera n. sp., Emery, 1877b: 373, major & minor; Santschi, 1930d: 268, male; Bernard, 1952: 223, queen) Ainsaba, Beccari - see below
subspecies
bispecula (Pheidole speculifera Em. v. bispecula n. var., Santschi, 1930a: 58, minor) from Zaïre, Haut Uélé, Moto, L Burgeon - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0913445
all forms described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Note: Pheidole ascara (Pheidole speculifera Emery var. ascarus n. var., Emery, 1901e: 62, major; Santschi, 1930d: 268, minor & male) from Ethiopia, and Pheidole cubangensis (Pheidole crassinoda Emery, v. cubangensis n. var., Forel, 1901d: 306, major only; variety of speculifera, Forel, 1916: 413) from Angola, Cubanga-Cuitohere, raised to full species.


Emery's (1877b) description is at {original description} and {original description}. Santschi's (1930d) description of the male and of ascara is at {original description}. Santschi's (1930a) description of bispecula is at {original description}.

Wheeler (1922: ) gave a drawing labelled "Pheidole speculifera" but no details other than the size of the major in the drawing as being smaller (TL ca 6 mm) than cubangensis (TL 7 mm). With the availablity of type images, that drawing is revealed to be the major of Ph. aeberlii.


{Pheidole speculifera major}The photomontage of a type collection major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0281187.  This is a little odd in that Emery gave the colour as dull ferruginous.


{Pheidole speculifera minor}The photomontage of a syntype minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0906523.


Oxford University Museum specimens

Pheidole speculifera
B Taylor det.
Liberia
E Poirier
Yekepa
PF 6
29.iii.2013
Nimba County
07°33’38" N
08°32’33" E
Pitfall trap
Degraded secondary forest
518 m asl
minor
1
{album}
Pheidole speculifera
B Taylor det.

Ghana
S Sky Stephens
05G0012
2005
in personal collection of S Sky Stephens
1
{album}
Pheidole speculifera
B Taylor det.
Cameroun
A Fotso Kuate
Pheidole speculifera

17.xii.2005
Awae II
03°54'30" N
11°25'58" E
Tuna bait in forest
minor

1
{album}
Pheidole speculifera
B Taylor det.

Cameroun
A Fotso Kuate
Pheidole speculifera
17.v.2007
Matomb
03°54'30" N
11°25'58" E
Tuna bait in fallow
minor
1
{album}
Pheidole speculifera
B Taylor det.
Cameroun
G Debout & A Dalecky
Cameroon 71
18.iv.2001
BOU
3°13.31' N
10°15.01' E
nest in the ground
2
{album}
Pheidole speculifera
B Taylor det.
Central African Republic
P Annoyer
PCO1 to PCO5

24-27.xi.2010
Dzanga-Sangha
2°28'49.5"N
16°12'55.9"E
392 m; pitfall/dung trap, Lake 1 base
minors
14
{album}

{Pheidole speculifera minor}Cameroun - minor from Cameroon, location BOU; McKey Wolbachia project (Cameroon 71).


{Pheidole speculifera minor}The photomontage is of a minor from Cameroun; Matomb; collector A Fotso Kuate (fk pheidole speculifera).


{Pheidole speculifera minor} The photomontage is of a minor worker from Ghana, collector S Sky Stephens (05G0012).

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© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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