Pheidole tricarinata Santschi

Type location Guinea (Pheidole tricarinata n. sp., Santschi, 1914d: 340, major) from Camayenne, collector F. Silvestri - see below
Junior synonym (here) minuscula (Pheidole minuscula n. sp., Bernard, 1952: 226, illustrated, major & minor) type location Guinea, from Mt. Nimba; 4 majors from station T 230, track in Ziéla savanna (Lamotte); 4 majors and 4 minors in a sample tube, location unmarked (Lamotte); major & minor workers described - see below
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Santschi's (1914d) description is at .

The photomontage of the headless type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913462.

Bernard's (1952) description of minuscula is at . This translated is -
MAJOR - TL 2.8 (liberiensis TL 3.4); head and thorax dark yellow; petiole, gaster and appendages pale testaceous. Shiny, even on the anterior striated ¾ of the head, rest of head slightly punctuate-reticulate (without striations). Clypeus heart-shaped, anterior border rectilinear centrally, surface very shiny with strong carina. Median groove of head dorsum limited to the posterior quarter. Funiculus segments 2 and 3 equal, together shorter than 4. Postpetiole yellow, shiny, as long as broad (liberiensis larger, brown and reticulate).

MINOR - TL 1.7 (liberiensis TL 1.9); body yellow-brown, very shiny, petiole and appendages testaceous. Head a little longer than wide, with fine puncturations; occiput concave, wide and not bordered. Second segment of antennal club scarcely longer than wide. Propodeal spines reduced to short teeth. postpetiole globular (after Bernard, 1952).

Described as close to Pheidole termitophila ssp liberiensis by Bernard, with differences as noted. The workers below show the small, globose, postpetiole and antennal club described and drawn Bernard.

Note: well developed longitudinal median carina on clypeus; smooth mandibles; alitrunk profile with distinct protuberances bearing erect hairs; propodeum from above with distinct lateral margination.

May be synonymous with Pheidole nigeriensis but type images of that are not available.

The photomontage of the minuscula type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913348.

The alitrunk, pedicel and gaster are an exact match for the remains of the type major shown above.

The photomontage of the type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913348.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Pheidole tricarinata B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Pheidole sp2	24.viii.2006 Mengomo 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E	Pitfall in forest Major	2
Pheidole tricarinata B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Pheidole sp2	21.vii.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E	Tuna bait in fallow minor	1
Pheidole tricarinata B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Pheidole sp3	20.vii.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E	Tuna bait in forest Major & minor	2

The photomontage is of a major from Cameroun; Awae II; 20.vii.2007; collector A Fotso Kuate (fk pheidole sp3).

MAJOR: TL < 3 mm. Head, excluding the mandibles, as broad as long, near square, considerably broader behind than in front, and with the occipital border deeply and arcuately excised. Behind the eyes the sides are convex but in front feebly concave. Eyes small, moderately convex, situated just in front of the anterior third of the head. In profile the head is relatively slender, most convex in the middle dorsally but almost flat ventrally, narrowing posteriorly but not depressed in the occipital region. Mandibles large, smooth and convex, with very low basal tooth, smooth dark margin and two low blunt teeth at the apex. Clypeus flat, smooth, anterior border with a distinct median notch. Frontal area large, subtriangular, without a median carinula; frontal carinae long, diverging, continued back as delicate rugae bordering a distinct shallow scrobe. Antennae slender, scapes terete, curved at the base, reaching to just past the middle of the face; funiculus segment 2 longer than broad, 3-8 square, club equal or longer than remainder of the funiculus, each segment with convex sides, apex sharply tapered. Gula with a pair of prominent, sharp (hypostomal) teeth. Thorax short and robust, shorter than the head without the mandibles. Pronotum with distinct and moderately acute humeral tubercles, mesonotum sloping to a deep metanotal constriction, with a shallow transverse welt; propodeum broader than long, dorsum raised behind metanotal groove and sloping in the middle; spines blunt, somewhat shorter than the base, a little longer than their interval, directed upward and slightly outward. Petiole quite large, narrow, fully twice as long as broad, seen from above with the immediate anterior flared and wider than node with subparallel sides, the node fairly long and high, with acute transverse superior border, distinctly notched in the middle. Postpetiole three times as broad as the petiole, subtriangular, broader than long and broader behind than in front, with rounded sides, in profile near square its ventral surface without a tooth, its dorsal surface flattened. Gaster quite narrowly elliptical, smaller than the head. Legs quite stout, femora thickened in the middle.
Shining; mandibles smooth. Head longitudinally rugose, the rugae fine and quite dense, the interrugal spaces with very fine spiculation, distinct scrobe. The rugae on the front straight stoping at end of scrobes (2/3 length of face). Sides of head smooth and shiny. Occipital lobes with quite numerous but small hairs pits. Pronotum shiny but weaklytransversely rugulose. Gaster wholly shiny.
Overall yellowish-brown, darkest on pronotal dorsum and posterior gaster; funiculi and legs paler. The base colour appears to vary from nest to nest or perhaps even within a nest from quite dark brown to golden yellow. Erect hairs yellow, fine abundant on gaster and posterior head.

The photomontage is of a major from Cameroun; Awae II; 24.viii.2005; collector A Fotso Kuate (fk pheidole sp2).

MINOR: Short and stocky overall, darker than major, legs and funiculi golden-yellow; shiny except densely spiculate lateral alitrunk and propodeum; head in full-face very relatively square, eyes fairly flat, fine nuchal collar; propodeal spines very short and blunt (fk sp 3 as above)

Second minor (fk sp 2 as above)