Pheidole caffra senilifrons

Pheidole caffra senilifrons
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Pheidole
Species:	P. caffra
Subspecies:	P. caffra senilifrons
Trinomial name
Pheidole caffra senilifrons Wheeler, W.M., 1922 Specimen labels

Taylor et al. (2018) found this ground nesting taxon in a Mangifera indica (mango) orchard in Benin, often as prey of Oecophylla longinoda. It is ground nesting.

Identification

A member of the speculifera species group.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 4.333333° to -3.125556°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo (type locality), Nigeria.

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Castes

• The following images are provided by AntWeb
• 
• 
• 

  Head view

• 
• 

  Side view

• 

  Specimen labels

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

• senilifrons. Pheidole caffra subsp. senilifrons Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 130, fig. 32 (s.w.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.
  • Subspecies of caffra: Bolton, 1995b: 329.

Taxonomic Notes

Taylor et al. (2018) - It is quite clear from the original Emery description and the type image, CASENT0904210, that true Pheidole caffra does not have strongly marked sculpturation on the occiput and the frontal carinae reach the posterior quarter of the head; the colour also is given as ferruginous, dull with the gaster piceous and shiny.

They then propose treating this taxon as a full species, a treatment not followed by later authors.

References

• Taylor, B., Agoinon, N., Sinzogan, A., Adandonon, A., Kouaguou, Y. N., Bello, S., Wargui, R., Anato, F., Ouagoussounon, I., Houngbo, H., Tchibozo, S., Todjihounde, R., Vayssieres, J.F. 2018. Records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Republic of Benin, with particular reference to the mango farm ecosystem. Journal of Insect Biodiversity 8(1): 6-29 (doi:10.12976/jib/2018.08.1.2).
• Wheeler, W. M. 1922b. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. II. The ants collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 39-269 (page 130, fig. 32 soldier, worker described)