Pheidole hongkongensis

This species usually inhabit woody gardens, forest edges and sometimes open habitats, and nests in the soil (but rarely in rotting wood as in colony VN01-SKY-05).

Identification
Eguchi (2008) - This species is similar to Pheidole taipoana Wheeler, but well separated from the latter which has the following characteristics: head smooth entirely in the minor; longitudinal rugulae on frons weak in the major.

The minor of P. hongkongensis is similar to that of Pheidole planidorsum Eguchi. But in the major both impression on vertex in lateral view and concavity of posterior margin of head in full-face view are shallower in P. planidorsum than in P. hongkongensis. There is a certain possibility that P. planidorsum is just a variant of P''. hongkongensis'' (see also Eguchi, Yamane & Zhou 2007).

Distribution
Known from N. Vietnam, S. China and Thailand.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Laos, Thailand, Vietnam. Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  hongkongensis. Pheidole rinae subsp. hongkongensis Wheeler, W.M. 1928c: 11 (s.w.q.) CHINA (Hong Kong). Raised to species: Zhou & Zheng, 1999: 87; Zhou, 2001b: 123; subspecies of rinae: Eguchi, 2001a: 23; revived status as species: Eguchi, Yamane & Zhou, 2007: 259. See also: Eguchi, 2008: 40.

Worker
Eguchi (2008) - Major (n=7). — HL 0.96–1.11 mm; HW 0.82–0.93 mm; CI 84–87; SL 0.42–0.46 mm; SI 47–53; FL 0.57–0.65 mm; FI 68–71. Minor (n=9 for HL, HW, SL, CI and SI, but n=8 for FL and FI). — HL 0.48–0.53 mm; HW 0.44–0.50 mm; CI 88–96; SL 0.41–0.45 mm; SI 89–96; FL 0.43–0.50 mm; FI 99–107.

Major — Head in full-face view deeply concave posteromedially, in lateral view strongly impressed on vertex; frons and anterior part of vertex longitudinally rugose; posterior part of vertex rugose to reticulate; dorsum of vertexal lobe reticulate, or obliquely or transversely rugoso-reticulate; frontal carina weak but conspicuous, extending beyond midlength of head; antennal scrobe inconspicuous; clypeus without a median longitudinal carina; hypostoma with a conspicuous (or sometimes reduced) median process and conspicuous submedian processes in addition to conspicuous lateral processes; antenna with a 3-segmented club; maximal diameter of eye much longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome in dorsal view rugose transversely or rugoso-reticulate, in lateral view at most having an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; humerus of the dome relatively well produced laterad; the dome at the humeri broader than at the bottom (but sometimes only a little broader than at the bottom). Petiole much longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive. First gastral tergite weakly punctured around its articulation with postpetiole, and smooth or shagreened in the remainder.

Minor — Frons and vertex smooth to weakly punctured, overlain sparsely by weak londigudinal rugulae; median part of clypeus smooth and shining; the median longitudinal carina absent, or sometimes present but weak; preoccipital carina absent dorsally on head; antenna with a 3-segmented club; scape reaching or exceeding posterior margin of head at most by 1.5× length of antennal segment II; maximal diameter of eye as long as or longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome with sparse standing hairs, in lateral view relatively poorly convex or almost flat dorsally, often with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; the mediodorsal part of the dome almost smooth to shagreened, usually overlain by several weak rugulae, or coarsely rugoso-reticulate; humerus in dorso-oblique view very weakly to weakly produced laterad; mesopleuron, metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum punctured; propodeal spine elongate-triangular. Petiole much longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive.

Type Material
Eguchi (2008) - Lectotype: major, “Hong Kong, Silvestri”, cotype-20668, examined; paralectotypes: 2 majors, 2 minors & 2 queens, same data as lectotype, MCZC cotype-20668, examined.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
 * Eguchi K. 2001. A taxonomic study on Asian Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): new synonymy, rank changes, lectotype designations and redescriptions. Insecta Koreana 18: 1-35.
 * Eguchi K. 2008. A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Zootaxa 1902: 1-118.
 * Eguchi K., S. Yamane, and S.Y. Zho. 2007. Taxonomic revision of the Pheidole rinae Emery complex. Sociobiology 50 (1): 275-284.
 * Eguchi K.; Bui T. V.; Yamane S. 2011. Generic synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam (Insecta: Hymenoptera), part I  Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmecinae. Zootaxa 2878: 1-61.
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Jaitrong W., B. Guenard, E. P. Economo, N. Buddhakala, and S. Yamane. 2016. A checklist of known ant species of Laos (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Asian Myrmecology 8: 1-32. DOI: 10.20362/am.008019
 * Jaitrong W.; Nabhitabhata, J. 2005. A list of known ant species of Thailand. The Thailand Natural History Museum Journal 1(1): 9-54.
 * Leong C. M., S. F. Shiao, and B. Guenard. 2017. Ants in the city, a preliminary checklist of Formicidae (Hymenoptera) in Macau, one of the most heavily urbanized regions of the world. Asian Myrmecology 9: e009014.
 * Li Z.h. 2006. List of Chinese Insects. Volume 4. Sun Yat-sen University Press
 * Liu C, B. Guénard, F Hita Garcia, S. Yamane, B. Blanchard, and E. Economo. New records of ant species from Yunnan, China. Submitted to Zookeys
 * Pan Y.S. 2007. Systematic Study on the Ant Genera Pheidole Westwood and Aphaenogaster Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formincidae : Myrmicinae) In China. Guangxi Normal University, Guangxi, China. 73 pages.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1928. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in China. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 22: 3-38.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1930. A list of the known Chinese ants. Peking Natural History Bulletin 5: 53-81.
 * Zhang W., G. Liu, P. Zhong, and S. Zhang. 2014. Investigation of Formicidae in Luofushan Mountain. Journal of Huizhou University 34(3): 46-50.
 * Zhang W., and S. Zhou. 2016. An investigation on Formicidae species of Nanling National Park. Journal of Huizhou University 36(3): 27-30.
 * Zhou S. Y., and Z. M. Zheng. 1999. Taxonomic study of the ant genus Pheidole Westwood from Guangxi, with descriptions of three new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 24: 83-88.
 * Zhou S.-Y. and Zheng Z. 1999. Taxonomic study of the ant genus Pheidole Westwood from Guangxi, with descriptions of three new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica24(1): 83-88.