Pheidole tristis Forel - minors

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Photomontage of a minor specimen collected in Algeria, Temassini, 30.i.1914, collected by V Geyer; the Pheidole pallidula Nyl. v. cicatricosa n.v. of Stitz (1917: 340).

MINOR - TL ca 2.3 mm CI 87 SI 120 OI 28 PI 60 Egypt - El Minia
Head a short rectangle with the sides very weakly convex, posterior angles broad and evenly rounded, the occiput straight; with a very narrow nuchal collar
Mandibles moderately long, with a mixture of minute teeth and quite coarse teeth on the masticatory margin; and two larger apical teeth
Anterior margin of clypeus quite strongly convex, without a median or any other carinae; with only four forward facing, fine long hairs
Frontal carinae short and almost parallel; set quite far apart, about 0.4 X the width of the head at the level of the antennal insertions
Scapes long and slender, thickening very slightly from base to apex, surpassing the occiput by about 1/4 of their length; funiculus about 33% longer than scape; the 3-segmented club has the apical segment as long as the other two combined; the pre-apical segments are about twice as long as they are wide
The eye is ovoid (12 facets long by 10 wide), quite large and strongly convex; the anteriormost point is about 1.3 X own length back from the anterior point of the genae
The pronotum from above is longitudinally ovoid and evenly convex at the widest point; in profile, it is evenly and moderately convex with the pro-mesonotal suture just visible and not interrupting the profile; the metanotal groove is distinct and markedly impressed both dorsally and laterally; the propodeum has the dorsum quite strongly convex in profile and no lateral margination; the teeth are no more than very minute sharp points; the declivity is slightly concave
The petiole has a fairly long pedicel and a moderately high triangular profile, with the apex angular
The postpetiole has a low globular profile but is flat verntrally; from above is only about 1.5 X as wide as the petiole, with the widest part being at the midpoint of the rounded sides
The gaster is narrowly ovoid from above and globular laterally and from above; it has a short, straight anterior margin
The legs are relatively short with weakly swollen femora
The whole of the head, body, antennae and legs bear quite fine, short, semi-erect hairs
Shiny with very little sculpturation other than very fine longitudinal striations on the lateral head
Overall quite dark red-brown with lighter appendages and pedicel; speculatively the minors of cicatricosa have lost much of their colour since collected in 1914.

The photomontage is of a minor from Egypt, El-Minia, 2008, collected by Mahmoud Fadl Ali.

Photomontage of a minor specimen collected in Spain, Garden Costa i Llobera, Barcelona, by Xavier Espadaler. The location is a dry cactus garden and Xavier commented (in litt) - "it seemed to me they were too big for P. pallidula".

Photomontage of a minor specimen collected in Mali, Bamako,12.37.18 N 008.00.27 W; by David M King. Foraging on the wall of an outside stair well.