Pheidole makaensis

The species was collected at an elevation of 500 m, in gallery forest with bamboo. Nest was located in dead twig above ground.

Identification
Salata and Fisher (2020) - A member of the Pheidole makaensis species group. Major. Head in full-face view elongated; sides of the head with moderately dense, very long, erect pilosity; occipital lobes with thick, sparse, short, irregular, and slightly arcuate rugae, interspaces smooth; inner hypostomal teeth distinct, moderately high, closely spaced, triangular, with rounded apex and wide base; outer hypostomal teeth bigger and wider than inner hypostomal teeth, lobe-like; inner and outer teeth closely spaced and connected by moderately deep concavity. Minor:. Head foveolate, genae smooth; scape, when laid back, surpassing the posterior head margin by two-fifths of its length; promesonotum low, convex, short, with posterior declivity smoothly declining towards propodeum; mesosoma foveolate, anepisternum, katepisternum and mesonotum with fading sculpture; propodeal spines small, triangular.

Pheidole makaensis is most similar to Pheidole avaratra. Major workers. It differs from P. avaratra in very sparse and interrupted rugae on frons and frons with mostly smooth interspaces; smooth genae, lobe-like outer hypostomal teeth which are distinctly bigger than inner hypostomal teeth, and katepisternum with smooth notch. Minor workers. It differs from P. avaratra in denser and longer pilosity on head, mesosoma, and gaster.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  makaensis. Pheidole makaensis Salata & Fisher, 2020: 122, figs. 45A–F, 85D, 87H (w.) MADAGASCAR.

Worker
Major (N = 1): HL: 1.24; HW: 1.03; SL: 0.46; EL: 0.14; WL: 0.84; PSL: 0.16; MTL: 0.54; PNW: 0.51; PTW: 0.14; PPW: 0.34; CI: 83.5; SI: 44.2; PSLI: 13.3; PPI: 40.4; PNI: 49.0; MTI: 51.9. Head. In full-face view longitudinal, longer than wide, anterior of eyes straight, posterior of eyes slightly convex, occipital margin of lobes straight, inclining towards centre. In lateral view sub-oval; ventral and dorsal faces convex; dorsal face finely depressed posteriorly, forming indistinct transverse depression between frons and occipital lobes; inner hypostomal teeth visible. Sides of the head with moderately dense, very long, erect pilosity; whole head with moderately dense, long, suberect to erect pilosity. Antennal scrobes indistinct and not delimited by carinulae; scrobe surface shiny, with thick, sparse, longitudinal rugae; interspaces smooth and finely foveolate on the posterior part. Occipital lobes shiny, with thick, sparse, short, irregular, and slightly arcuate rugae, interspaces smooth; frons with moderately sparse, thick, longitudinal, interrupted rugae, interspaces smooth and indistinctly rugulae on the posterior part; genae shiny and smooth; malar area with thick, sparse, longitudinal rugae, interspaces smooth. Centre of clypeus shiny and smooth, lateral sides with longitudinal rugae; median notch present, narrow, and moderately deep; median longitudinal carina absent; lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Scape, when laid back, not reaching the midlength of head; pilosity erect. Inner hypostomal teeth distinct, moderately high, closely spaced, triangular, with rounded apex and wide base; outer hypostomal teeth bigger and wider than inner hypostomal teeth, lobe-like; inner and outer teeth closely spaced and connected by moderately deep concavity. Mesosoma. In lateral view, promesonotum relatively low and arched, dorsal mesonotum slightly concave, posterior mesonotum steep, with tubercle-like projections; promesonotal groove absent; metanotal groove absent; propodeal spines short, triangular, with sharp apex and relatively wide base; humeral area laterally weakly produced. Surface foveolate with additional indistinct and thin rugulae; dorsal and lateral surfaces of pronotum with fading sculpture and sometimes with smooth notches; katepisternum and anepisternum with sculpture reduced and smooth notches. Pilosity moderately dense, very long, and erect. Petiole. Shiny; peduncle moderately long, finely foveolate, with distinct, short, horizontal lobes on its basal part; node with fading sculpture, relatively low, triangular, with rounded apex, in rear view node slightly convex; pilosity moderately sparse and erect. Postpetiole. Shiny and finely shagreened, dorsum with fading sculpture; in dorsal view sides with very short, acute, and triangular projections; pilosity long, dense, and erect. Petiole. Shiny and finely shagreened; pilosity dense, very long, and erect. Colour. Reddish brown to brown; lateral sides of mesosoma, and sometimes malar area and lower frons, yellowish brown; legs yellow to yellowish brown.

Unless otherwise noted above, the following characters occur in this species, and the majority of Pheidole majors of Madagascar described by Salata and Fisher 2020a. Antennal sockets shallow; frontal lobes absent; head in full-face view with distinct median concavity; antenna 12-segmented, with 3-segmented club; masticatory margin of mandible with large, stout apical and preapical teeth, followed by a long diastema and then a short and crenulate tooth just before the rounded basal angle; outer surface of mandible mostly smooth and shining, sometimes with weak and sparse foveolae; antennal scrobes present; promesonotum strongly convex, well above the level of propodeum; postpetiole short with slightly convex dorsum; ventral process absent.

Minor (N = 1): HL: 0.48; HW: 0.41; SL: 0.44; EL: 0.1; WL: 0.55; PSL: 0.07; MTL: 0.35; PNW: 0.28; PTW: 0.07; PPW: 0.11; CI: 86.8; SI: 107.0; PSLI: 15.5; PPI: 64.6; PNI: 67.8; MTI: 84.3. Head. Occipital margin straight or indistinctly concave; occipital carina absent. Pilosity dense, very long, erect. Head shiny, foveolate; genae smooth. Clypeus smooth or finely foveolate; median longitudinal carina absent; two lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Scape, when laid back, surpassing the posterior head margin by two-fifths of its length; pilosity suberect to erect. Mesosoma. In lateral view, promesonotum low, convex, short, with posterior declivity smoothly declining towards propodeum; promesonotal groove absent; metanotal groove indistinct; propodeal spines small, triangular, with acute apex. Sculpture foveolate; anepisternum, katepisternum, and mesonotum with fading sculpture. Pilosity moderately sparse, long, and erect. Petiole. Peduncle short and thin with ventral face slightly convex; node moderately low, globular, and small; with few short, erect setae. Postpetiole. Short, low, and slightly convex; with few short, erect setae. Petiole. With moderately sparse, very long, erect pilosity. Colour. Yellow.

Unless otherwise noted above, the following characters occur in this species, and the majority of Pheidole minors of Madagascar described by Salata and Fisher 2020a. Antennal sockets shallow; frontal lobes absent; head in full-face view oval, posterior and anterior of eyes convex; antenna 12-segmented, with 3-segmented club; humeral area not developed; clypeus smooth and shiny; its anterior margin regularly convex; promesonotum well above the level of propodeum; petiole smooth; petiole with node moderately low, triangular and small postpetiole smooth; gaster smooth and shiny.

Type Material
Holotype. Madagascar. 1 major worker; Toliara; Makay Mts.; -21.25864, 45.16412; alt. 500 m; 8 Dec 2010; Fisher et al. leg.; BLF25762, CASENT0205745. Paratype. Madagascar. 1w.; same data as for holotype; CASENT0923188 (CASC).

Etymology
From the type locality.