Pheidole ehazoara

The species was collected at 175 m in elevation, in tropical dry rainforest. Nest was located under a stone.

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 dense, very long, erect pilosity; occipital lobes with thick, sparse, short, irregular, and arcuate rugae, interspaces indistinctly rugulose; inner hypostomal teeth distinct, narrow, and triangular, closely spaced, with narrow and rounded apex directed outward; outer hypostomal teeth bigger and wider than inner hypostomal teeth, dentate. Minor: Head foveolate, foveolate, with additional longitudinal rugae on frons and malar area; genae with fading sculpture; scape, when laid back, reaching head margin; promesonotum low, convex, short, with posterior declivity smoothly declining towards propodeum; mesosoma foveolate; propodeal spines short, triangular.

Pheidole ehazoara is most similar to Pheidole fitarata. Major workers. It differs from P. fitarata in dark yellow body colouration, frons with rugae connected with rugae on the occipital lobes, absence of foveolae on head, shorter propodeal spines with wider base, and dentate outer hypostomal teeth directed outward. Minor workers. It differs from P. fitarata in presence of the additional longitudinal rugae on frons and malar area, longer postpetiole, and never smooth genae.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  ehazoara. Pheidole ehazoara Salata & Fisher, 2020: 134, figs. 49A–F, 84N, 86N (w.) MADAGASCAR.

Worker
Major (N = 3): HL: 1.07-1.1 (1.08); HW: 0.85-0.88 (0.87); SL: 0.41-0.44 (0.42); EL: 0.14-0.15 (0.14); WL: 0.82-0.86 (0.84); PSL: 0.13-0.14 (0.14); MTL: 0.44-0.46 (0.45); PNW: 0.49-0.51 (0.5); PTW: 0.15-0.16 (0.16); PPW: 0.38-0.42 (0.4); CI: 81.5-83.6 (82.3); SI: 41.8-49.0 (45.9); PSLI: 13.5-15.0 (14.09); PPI: 34.8-37.3 (36.2); PNI: 54.9-55.7 (55.4); MTI: 47.2-52.5 (50.4). 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 dense, very long, erect pilosity; whole head with dense, moderately long, suberect to erect pilosity. Antennal scrobes indistinct and not delimited by carinulae; scrobe surface shiny, with thick, moderately sparse, longitudinal rugae; interspaces rugulose. Occipital lobes shiny, with thick, sparse, short, irregular, and arcuate rugae, interspaces indistinctly rugulose; frons with moderately sparse, thick, longitudinal rugae, on the anterior part of frons interspaces with fine, short, and longitudinal rugulae, on the posterior part of frons interspaces with fine and irregular rugulae; genae shiny, with fine, dense and longitudinal rugulae, and behind the eyes smooth; malar area with thick, sparse, longitudinal rugae, interspaces smooth to indistinctly rugulose. Centre of clypeus shiny and smooth, lateral sides with longitudinal rugae; median notch indistinct; median longitudinal carina absent; lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Scape, when laid back, not reaching the midlength of head; pilosity erect. Inner hypostomal teeth distinct, narrow, and triangular, closely spaced, with narrow and rounded apex directed outward; outer hypostomal teeth bigger and wider than inner hypostomal teeth, dentate. Mesosoma. In lateral view, promesonotum relatively low and arched, posterior mesonotum relatively convex, with small, tubercle-like projections; promesonotal groove absent; metanotal groove indistinct; propodeal spines short, triangular, with sharp apex and very wide base; humeral area laterally weakly produced. Surface foveolate; promesonotum with additional indistinct and thin, transverse rugulae; its dorsal surface with fading sculpture; propodeum with additional longitudinal rugae, its dorsoventral side with fading sculpture. Pilosity moderately dense, long, suberect to erect. Petiole. Shiny; peduncle moderately short, finely foveolate, with distinct, short, horizontal lobes on its basal part; node with fading sculpture, relatively high, triangular, with rounded apex, in rear view node slightly convex; pilosity long and erect. Postpetiole. Shiny and finely shagreened, dorsum with fading sculpture; in dorsal view sides with moderately short, very wide, acute, and triangular projections; pilosity long and erect. Petiole. Shiny and finely shagreened on the basal part of first gastral tergite; pilosity dense, long, and erect. Colour. Dark yellow; lower part of malar area brown; gaster yellowish brown to 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 = 2): HL: 0.52-0.51; HW: 0.47-0.46; SL: 0.42-0.4; EL: 0.12-0.1; WL: 0.6-0.59; PSL: 0.1-0.09; MTL: 0.37-0.34; PNW: 0.33-0.32; PTW: 0.09-0.09; PPW: 0.17-0.15; CI: 83.6-81.5; SI: 41.8-49.0; PSLI: 15.0-13.9; PPI: 36.3-34.8; PNI: 54.9-55.7; MTI: 47.2-52.5. Head. Occipital margin straight or indistinctly concave; occipital carina indistinct. Pilosity moderately dense, short, suberect. Head shiny, foveolate, with additional longitudinal rugae on frons and malar area; genae with fading sculpture. Clypeus with fine, short, and longitudinal rugulae; median longitudinal carina absent; two lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Scape, when laid back, reaching head margin; pilosity suberect to erect. Mesosoma. In lateral view, promesonotum low, convex, short, with posterior declivity smoothly declining towards propodeum; promesonotal groove absent; metanotal groove present; propodeal spines small, triangular, with acute apex. Sculpture foveolate. Pilosity moderately sparse, moderately short, and erect. Petiole. Shiny; peduncle finely foveolate; short and thin; node moderately low, globular, and small; with few short, erect setae. Postpetiole. Moderately long, low, and slightly convex; with few short, erect setae. Petiole. With moderately sparse, erect pilosity. Colour. Dark 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; Ehazoara Canyon, 26 km E Betioky; -23.68333, 44.63333; alt. 175 m; 27 Apr 1997; Fisher et al. leg.; BLF01518, CASENT0872059, middle specimen. Paratype. Madagascar. •2w., 2s.; same data as for holotype; CASENT0198555, CASENT0923186, CASENT0872218, CASENT0872219 (CASC).

Etymology
After the locus typicus.