Pheidole termitophila Forel
  Type location South Sudan
(Pheidole termitophila n. sp.,
Forel, 1904h: 13, major, minor & queen; the name suggests it lives
with or in the nest mounds of termites) Kaka, White Nile, 10° 34' 36" N
32° 06' 47" E; Jaegerskiold, 6.iii.1901 - see below
subspecies liberiensis
(Pheidole termitophila Forel
subsp. liberiensis n. subsp.,
Forel, 1911e: 270, major & minor) from Liberia at Golah,
collector? - see below.
Major, minor and queen described (see Bolton, 1995)  .
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Forel's
(1904h) description is at  . Forel's (1911e) description of liberiensis
is at  . Bernard's (1952: 226)
note is at  .
Wheeler (1922) has a record of the species sensu
stricto from Senegal (Dakar, F. Silvestri) and liberiensis
from Guinea (Mamou and Kakoulima, by F.
Silvestri).
Bernard, see below, noted the typical form
had been found also in Benin (1952: 226, illustrated). From Guinea
he reported
further findings of liberiensis (with a larger postpetiole) at
Zouépo, 1250 m, one major and one minor, and a major from Camp IV
(forest, 1000 m, Lamotte) which differed in having a browner head and
with the vertex more indented posteriorly.
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 The
photomontage of the type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0907853.
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 The
photomontage of a type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0907854.
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 The
photomontage of the type major worker of liberiensis is
collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0907855.
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Oxford University
Museum
Collection records
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 The photomontage is
of a major worker from Liberia, Yekepa; collector E Poirier
(Camp 4 PF13).
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 The
photomontage is
of a minor worker from Liberia, Yekepa; collector E Poirier
(Camp 4 PF13).
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Minor workers from Congo - Réserve de
Lésio-Louna;
collector Eric Zassi (n sp 45 & 49).
This exactly matches the type form in size and colour.
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 The photomontage is
of a minor worker from Mali,
Bamako, 12.37.48° N 8.00.27° W, 323 m; Nest in soil in hotel grounds;
collector David M King (King 48).
The Forel (1904h) description of the type form minor worker is limited
but this worker is a good match. It appears
unique amongst, at least African, Pheidole
in having psammophore hairs
on the underside of the head. The type location close to the
White Nile is essentially Sahelian scrub desert, similar to the
environs of Bamako.
TL ca 2.2 HL 0.46 HW 0.42 EL 0.10 SL 0.48 PW 0.40 CI 85 SI 115 EI 24
Head with weakly concave occiput; mandibles smmoth both with distinct
puncturation, each puncture giving rise to a fine decumbent hair; eyes
ovoid set around the midlength of the head; Alitrunk profile with
promoseontum highly domed and dropping steeply
into the shallow metanotal groove, propodeum profile very shallowly
convex, spines reduced to sharp denticles; femora unique in being
distinctly swollen; propodeum dorsum with coarse spiculation; short
erect hairs moderately abundant all over.
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 Pheidole
liberiensis form
Bernard (1952) noted :
the liberiensis major had the head entirely striate and with a
long frontal groove; the clypeus submatt; postpetiole brown and
reticulated much wider than long;
the minor had the second segment of the antennal club twice as long as
wide; (propodeal) spines quite distinct; postpetiole angular and twice
as wide as is is long.
The minor workers shown below have
TL ca 1.9 mm HL 0.44 HW 0.41 SL 0.42 EL 0.09 PW 0.28 CI 94 SI 100 EI 20
All are brown in somewhat variable shades, but a common feature is the
lighter areas on the clypeus; the ovoid head with convex sides and
occiput; moderate ovoid to tear-drop shaped eyes set forward of the
midline; the postpetioles have weakly prounounced lateral apices,
suggesting Bernard's drawing may have been exaggerated.
All are from the edge of wooded areas or open grass areas in woodland.
Comparision of the type images show the two forms to be identical.
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 The
photomontage is of a minor worker from Liberia (Nimba),
Liabala; collector
E Poiriet (Liabala PF 8).
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 The
photomontage is of a minor worker from Gabon, Pongara
National Park; collector
Yves Braet (Gabon 70; similar workers Gabon76, 79 & 91).
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Minor worker from Central African Republic,
Dzanga-Sangha;
collector P Annoyer (PCO2 XAV).
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Minor worker from Cameroun,
Dzanga-Sangha;
collector A Fotso Kuate (fk Pheidole sp 10).
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