Pheidole ampla

Wheeler (1934): Numerous soldiers and workers taken by myself in the vicinity of (all the following from Rottnest Island) Government House (X. 21, '31), White Hill (X. 23, '31), Longreach Bay (X. 24, '31) and Nancy Cove (X. 25, '31) and by Mr. Glauert near Lake Herschel (III. 27, '32). All were nesting under stones in oven grassy places. The colonies are small or of medium size. Mr. Glauert found that this ant is a true harvester and stores its seeds in the superficial chambers of the nest. All the Rottnest specimens belong to the typical form of ampla, which was described from specimens taken by Walker on the Abrolhos (E. Wallaby Island).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Worker
Minor

Images from AntWeb
Major

Nomenclature

 *  ampla. Pheidole variabilis r. ampla Forel, 1893d: 462 (s.) AUSTRALIA.
 * Forel, 1901e: 377 (w.q.).
 * Raised to species: Forel, 1901e: 377.
 * Current subspecies: nominal plus mackayensis, parviceps, perthensis.
 * latigena. Pheidole variabilis subsp. latigena Forel, 1907h: 279 (s.w.) AUSTRALIA.
 * Junior synonym of ampla: Heterick, 2021: 19.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Forel A. 1901. Variétés myrmécologiques. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 45: 334-382.
 * Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.