Key to Pheidole fallax group

This worker key is based on:

This large assemblage is matched only by the  flavens  group in breadth of geographic distribution. Its species range collectively from the southeastern United States to Argentina, both throughout the mainland and on most of the larger islands of the West Indies. Its signature traits are medium size (with the major Head Width of the great majority of species falling between 1.0 and 2.0 mm), relatively long antennal scapes, sides of the major head subparallel, well-developed mesonotal convexity in both major and minor, dense pilosity, and relatively heavy sculpturing, which includes some rugoreticulation on at least the head of the major.

Two species placed in the fallax group known only from the minor caste, Pheidole aequiseta and Pheidole xanthogaster, cannot be identified with the key to follow. Specimens should be checked directly with the figures and measurements provided in the main section of species diagnoses.

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 * Pheidole
 * "New World Pheidole" Wilson 2003

1

 * Major: seen in full-face view, entire dorsal surface of head, including occipital lobes, covered by carinulae, or rugulae, or rugoreticulum, or some combination of these three types of sculpturing . . . . . 2


 * Major: seen in full-face view, either the occipital lobes and/or much of the rest of the posterior half of the head as well, are free of carinulae, rugae, and rugoreticulum, and are instead either smooth or densely foveolate . . . . . . 25