Pheidole cingulata

This taxon is considered to be unidentifiable and its identity is uncertain. The description is vague and the type material, consisting of at least one major and minor from Sarawak (Borneo), cannot be located.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia.

Nomenclature

 *  cingulata. Atta cingulata Smith, F. 1857a: 77 (s.w.) BORNEO. Combination in Aphaenogaster: Dalla Torre, 1893: 102; in Pheidole: Emery, 1915d: 69. Unidentifiable taxon, incertae sedis in Pheidole: Eguchi, 2001b: 43.

Worker
Eguchi (2001) - The original description (Fr. Smith, 1857): “Worker major. Length 1 3/4 line [1 line=2.1 mm]. Head very large, ferruginous, the antennae paler; eyes very small, placed at the sides of the head a little before the middle. Thorax: pale ferruginous, very convex or globose anteriorly, much narrower behind, with two short acute spines on the metathorax; legs pale rufo-testaceous. Abdomen: ovate, with the base truncated, with a fuscous ring in the middle; the nodes of the peduncle globose.

Worker minor. About 1 line in length. The head much smaller and more elongate; in colour, resembling the larger worker, and equally smooth and shining; the abdomen with a fuscous ring in the middle.

Hab. Borneo (Sarawak).”

Type Material
Atta cingulata

NO TYPE-MATERIAL FOUND. Also not found by Donisthorpe (1932c). Type-material should be at least one worker major and one worker minor, with Borneo (Sarawak) as the type-locality.

Eguchi (2001) - Major and minor. Borneo. Type material not examined.

According to B. Bolton (pers. com., 2000) “the types of P. cingulata are not here [BM], not at Oxford, and are presumed lost.” Therefore I can not give any additional information on this species.