Pheidole boribora

The species was collected at 900 m in elevation, in montane rainforest. Nest was located in a rotten log.

Identification
Salata and Fisher (2020) - A member of the Pheidole boribora complex in the Pheidole petax species group. Major: Head in full-face view oval, relatively as long as wide, anterior and posterior of eyes moderately convex; sides of the head with moderately dense, long, erect pilosity; genae smooth and shiny; inner hypostomal teeth distinct, distinct, low, thick, and triangular, with rounded apex; outer hypostomal teeth approximately the same size as inner hypostomal teeth, thick, dentate, with rounded tips; propodeal spines small, triangular; first gastral tergite finely shagreened; body reddish brown. Minor:. Head foveolate; promesonotum low, short, slightly convex, with relatively steep posterior declivity; propodeal spines small; mesosoma foveolate, foveolate, mesonotum, anepisternum, katepisternum and lateral surfaces of propodeum smooth; body yellow.

Major workers. Pheidole boribora is most similar to Pheidole miramila and differs from it by presence of foveolae on head, dense and long pilosity of sides of head, dentate inner hypostomal teeth, and small propodeal spines. Minor workers. Pheidole boribora is most similar to Pheidole petax and differs from it by smooth mesonotum, anepisternum, and lateral surfaces of propodeum.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  boribora. Pheidole boribora Salata & Fisher, 2020: 199, figs. 73A–F, 84J, 86J (w.) MADAGASCAR.

Worker
Major (N = 1): HL: 1.5; HW: 1.4; SL: 0.66; EL: 0.17; WL: 1.07; PSL: 0.17; MTL: 0.66; PNW: 0.58; PTW: 0.19; PPW: 0.41; CI: 93.4; SI: 47.2; PSLI: 11.2; PPI: 45.5; PNI: 41.6; MTI: 46.9. Head. In full-face view oval, anterior and posterior of eyes moderately convex. In lateral view sub-rectangular; ventral and dorsal faces finely convex; dorsal face finely depressed posteriorly, forming shallow transverse depression between frons and occipital lobes; inner hypostomal teeth invisible. Sides of the head with moderately dense, long, erect pilosity; whole head with moderately dense, short, suberect to erect pilosity. Antennal scrobes indistinct and not delimited by carinulae. Occipital lobes shiny, with thick, sparse, irregular rugae, interspaces smooth to finely foveolate; frons with thick, moderately dense, longitudinal rugae, interspaces smooth to finely foveolate; lateral sides of head foveolate, with additional thin, sparse, longitudinal rugae; malar area with dense and thin longitudinal rugulae; genae smooth and shiny. Clypeus shiny and smooth, with thin, longitudinal rugulae on the lateral sides; median notch present, narrow, and moderately deep; median longitudinal carina absent; lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Scape, when laid back, reaching the midlength of head; pilosity decumbent to erect. Inner hypostomal teeth distinct, low, thick, and triangular, with rounded apex; outer hypostomal teeth approximately the same size as inner hypostomal teeth, thick, dentate, with rounded tips. Mesosoma. In lateral view, promesonotum short, angular, and relatively low, posterior mesonotum steep, with moderately large, tubercle-like projections; promesonotal groove absent; metanotal groove absent or indistinct; propodeal spines small, triangular, with base wide, apex rounded; humeral area with small and flat tubercles. Surface shiny, with very sparse, transverse to irregular thin rugae, pronotum and propodeum with additional indistinct and sparse foveolae. Pilosity moderately dense, long, and erect. Petiole. Shiny, finely shagreened to smooth; peduncle short, with small, rounded, horizontal lobes on its basal part; node moderately high and triangular, with convex apex, in rear view node relatively straight; pilosity moderately sparse and erect. Postpetiole. Shiny and finely shagreened; short and rounded; in dorsal view sides with short, acute, triangular projections; pilosity long, moderately dense, and erect. Petiole. First gastral tergite shiny and finely shagreened; pilosity dense, long and erect. Colour. Head reddish brown; mesosoma and gaster yellowish brown to brown; legs dark yellow.

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 = 3): HL: 0.55-0.58 (0.56); HW: 0.49-0.5 (0.49); SL: 0.57-0.58 (0.57); EL: 0.11-0.11 (0.11); WL: 0.68-0.76 (0.74); PSL: 0.07-0.1 (0.08); MTL: 0.42-0.46 (0.43); PNW: 0.31-0.32 (0.31); PTW: 0.06-0.08 (0.07); PPW: 0.12-0.14 (0.13); CI: 85.8-89.4 (87.5); SI: 116.2-116.8 (116.4); PSLI: 12.0-17.0 (14.6); PPI: 46.0-59.8 (53.3); PNI: 62.9-64.2 (63.5); MTI: 85.0-91.2 (88.0). Head. Occipital margin straight or indistinctly concave; occipital carina indistinct, weakly developed. Pilosity moderately dense, long, erect. Whole head foveolate. Clypeus with 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 erect. Mesosoma. In lateral view, promesonotum low, short, slightly convex, with relatively steep posterior declivity; promesonotal groove absent; metanotal groove absent; propodeal spines small, triangular, apex acute. Sculpture foveolate; katepisternum, anepisternum and mesonotum smooth. Pilosity sparse, long, and erect. Petiole. Peduncle short and thin with ventral face slightly convex; node low, triangular, and small; with few moderately long, erect setae. Postpetiole. Short, low, and convex; with few moderately long, erect setae. Petiole. With moderately sparse, erect pilosity. Colour. Unicolourous, 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; Parc National d’Andohahela, Col du Sedro, 3.8 km 113°ESE Mahamavo, 37.6 km 341°NNW Tolagnaro; -24.76389, 46.75167; alt. 900 m; 21 Jan 2002; B.L. Fisher et al. leg.; BLF05130, CASENT0456013. Paratypes. Madagascar. 4w.; same data as for holotype; CASENT0456014-CASENT0456016, CASENT0872187-CASENT0872190 (CASC).

Etymology
Malagasy for oval, in reference to the head shape of major workers.