List of Afrotropical Pheidole by species group

This list follows Fischer et al (2012). Group diagnosis are also from this reference.


 * The megacephala group has been renamed to indica group, with the following changes:
 * Synonymies have been updated
 * Pheidole punctulata spinosa is excluded as it has been collected only in Madagascar.
 * Subspecies of species listed under a group in the original article are tentatively placed under the same group and complex than the species cited
 * The rest are placed under incertae sedis

aurivillii group
Larger species (minor worker HW: 0.52–0.79 mm, n=52) with relatively long appendages (SI: 107–145, FI: 142– 247). Minor workers: characterized by oval head that is longer than wide, long promesonotum, declining slowly to metanotal groove, absent or inconspicuous mesonotal process. Sculpture on mesonotum, mesopleuron and propodeum uniform, pilosity relatively long, erect and flexous. Postpetiole with shallow ventral process. Major workers: head with mostly irregular rugose-punctate sculpture. Frontal carinae and antennal scrobe absent or inconspicuous, inner hypostomal teeth developed to large, mesonotal process and postpetiole ventral process present. Pilosity as in minor and very abundant.
 * Pheidole aurivillii
 * Pheidole aurivillii attenuata
 * Pheidole aurivillii kasaiensis
 * Pheidole aurivillii rubricalva

Other potentially related species and several undescribed morphospecies probably belong to this group

excellens group
Species with square-like heads in both, minor and major workers, shorter appendages (minor worker SI: 86–115, n=32), often extensive and coarse body sculpture (sometimes only on pronotum), abundant and fine pilosity and small postpetioles, in major workers with a lateral process. Minor workers: characterized by wide, square head with straight posterior margin and subangulate to angulate corners, relatively short scape, barely to moderately exceeding occipital margin. Postpetiole very short, lower than petiole, about as wide as long. Body often deeply punctate-rugulose/rugose [e.g. excellens Mayr, liengmei Forel], with coarse ridges along dorsopropodeum, but some species mostly smooth [sculpturata rhodesiana Forel], to superficially sculptured [sculpturata]. Usually with high amount of very thin and moderately short body pilosity, often pelt-like, at least on the head. Spines short to long, linearly spinose. Major workers: head usually elongate, much longer than wide, or at least square-like with parallel to subparallel sides, sometimes wider anteriorly than posteriorly. Submedian and outer hypostomal teeth well-developed to large, median tooth absent. Promesonotal dome high, spines quasi-vertical, often thick, blunt or truncated. Postpetiole laterally with an (often strongly) extended, wing-like, posteriorly curved process. Pilosity and sculpture similar to minor workers.

Several probably undescribed morphospecies are located in the collections of BMNH, CASC and ZFMK.

katonae complex Small species (minor worker HW: 0.57–0.63, n=8), possessing short legs and spines, and relatively larger eyes


 * Pheidole katonae
 * Pheidole sculpturata zambesiana

excellens complex Larger species (minor worker HW: 0.69–0.93, n=24), which possess longer legs and spines, and relatively smaller eyes


 * Pheidole excellens
 * Pheidole excellens fulvobasalis
 * Pheidole excellens weissi
 * Pheidole liengmei
 * Pheidole liengmei malindana
 * Pheidole liengmei micrartifex
 * Pheidole liengmei shinsendensis
 * Pheidole njassae
 * Pheidole sculpturata
 * Pheidole sculpturata areolata
 * Pheidole sculpturata berthoudi
 * Pheidole sculpturata dignata
 * Pheidole sculpturata rhodesiana
 * Pheidole sculpturata welgelegenensis

incertae sedis in the excellens group
 * Pheidole arnoldi
 * Pheidole arnoldi ballaensis
 * Pheidole arnoldi rufescens

indica group
Relatively small species (minor worker HW: 0.51–0.66 mm, n=18), with relatively short appendages (SI: 117–122, FI: 106–129) and spines. Minor workers: posterior head margin weakly rounded and eyes with eight or more ommatidia in the longest row. Promesonotum without mesonotal process and often smoothly declining towards metanotal groove, spines very short or minute. Petiole relatively short, postpetiole comparatively large with ventral process. Major workers: head in full-face view often broadest at mid-point or posterior, anteriorly often narrower, head sometimes slightly heart shaped. Longitudinal rugulae mostly ending on frons, upper half of head usually smooth and shiny, antennal scrobe weak to inconspicuous, inner hypostomal teeth mostly very small or inconspicuous and medium tooth absent. Mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole similar to minor workers.


 * Pheidole indica
 * Pheidole megacephala atrox
 * Pheidole megacephala costauriensis
 * Pheidole megacephala duplex
 * Pheidole megacephala ilgi
 * Pheidole megacephala impressifrons
 * Pheidole megacephala melancholica
 * Pheidole megacephala nkomoana
 * Pheidole megacephala rotundata
 * Pheidole megacephala speculifrons
 * Pheidole megacephala talpa
 * Pheidole punctulata

nigeriensis group
Very small species (minor worker HW: 0.41–0.56 mm, n=60), with short scapes and legs (SI: 90–114, FI: 95–122). Minor workers: posterior head margin straight to weakly concave and eyes small with a maximum of six ommatidia in the longest row. Promesonotal dome well-rounded to slightly angulate in profile view, propodeum, spines and postpetiole relatively short. Postpetiole not higher than petiolar node and without ventral process. Major worker: head longer than wide, very large compared to the rest of the body, anteriorly weakly longitudinally rugulose. Upper half of head mostly smooth (similar to megacephala group), inner hypstomal teeth well-developed to relatively large. Mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole similar to minor workers.


 * Pheidole nigeriensis

And several morphospecies collected from different localities.

pulchella group
Relatively large species (minor worker HW: 0.66–0.97 mm (n=154), major worker HW: 1.63–2.35 (n=53)), with relatively long spines in both, minor (PSLI: 21–40) and major workers (PSLI: 11–19), which are usually curved backwards, except in P. diomandei. Minors always with a distinct promesonotal process, followed by a well-developed or conspicuous smaller process and a distinctly impressed metanotal groove. Majors always with a distinct promesonotal process and hypostomal margin of the head always with two conspicuous inner and two outer submedian teeth, but lacking the median process. Both worker subcastes with a well-developed postpetiolar ventral process, similar to the species of the indica complex, but distinctly separated from them by the previous character combination.


 * Pheidole batrachorum
 * Pheidole christinae
 * Pheidole darwini
 * Pheidole dea
 * Pheidole glabrella
 * Pheidole heliosa
 * Pheidole nimba
 * Pheidole pulchella
 * Pheidole rebeccae
 * Pheidole semidea
 * Pheidole setosa

KEY TO SPECIES

speculifera group
Medium to large species (minor worker HW: 0.52–0.81 mm, n=26), the minor workers characterized by large relatively long appendages (SI: 111–123), and both worker subcastes with large postpetiole that is 2–3 times wider than long. Minor workers: long antennal scapes, surpassing the posterior head margin by about ¼ of their length. Posterior head margin compressed, weakly rounded [prelli complex] to evenly rounded [crassinoda, speculifera]. Postpetiole large and voluminous, as long as [prelli complex] or longer [crassinoda, speculifera] than petiole and more than twice as wide. Pilosity moderately abundant, either short and stout, with blunt or split apices [crassinoda, prelli] or longer and flexous [speculifera]. Major workers: head either massive and thick, with sculpture variable, frontal carinae & antennal scrobes absent, inner hypostomal teeth strongly reduced and median tooth absent [speculifera complex] or head less massive, with strong longitudinal and transverse rugose-punctate sculpture, long, curved and broadly extended frontal carinae, inner hypostomal teeth and median tooth present and conspicuous [prelli complex]. Spines thick and short, almost lobate. Postpetiole very massive, in dorsal view about 2–3 times wider than petiole, with a conspicuously spiked lateral process.

prelli complex

Slightly smaller species (minor worker HW: 0.52–0.56 mm, n=5), which possess relatively large eyes (EI: 31–33)
 * Pheidole caffra
 * Pheidole caffra abyssinica
 * Pheidole caffra amoena
 * Pheidole caffra bayeri
 * Pheidole caffra montivaga
 * Pheidole caffra senilifrons
 * Pheidole prelli
 * Pheidole prelli ingenita
 * Pheidole prelli redbankensis

speculifera complex

Slightly to considerably larger species (minor worker HW: 0.60–0.81 mm, n=21) with smaller eyes (EI: 22–28)


 * Pheidole crassinoda
 * Pheidole crassinoda pluto
 * Pheidole crassinoda ruspolii
 * Pheidole crassinoda sordidula
 * Pheidole occipitalis
 * Pheidole occipitalis adami
 * Pheidole occipitalis neutralis
 * Pheidole speculifera
 * Pheidole speculifera ascara
 * Pheidole speculifera bispecula
 * Pheidole speculifera cubangensis

New material and undescribed species from different localities can be found in the collections of BMNH, CASC and ZFMK.

incertae sedis
Under this list, the species not cited in the article, but present in the Afrotropical region.
 * Pheidole aeberlii Forel, 1894 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole aeberlii erythraea Emery, 1901
 * Pheidole akermani Arnold, 1920 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole albidula Santschi, 1928 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole andrieui Santschi, 1930 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole areniphila Forel, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole areniphila aurora Santschi, 1928 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole aspera Mayr, 1862 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole bequaerti Forel, 1913 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole buchholzi Mayr, 1901 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole capensis Mayr, 1862 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole capensis dregei Emery, 1895 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole capensis modestior Santschi, 1919 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole capensis reddersbergensis Forel, 1913 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole clavata (Emery, 1877)
 * Pheidole concinna Santschi, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole corticicola Santschi, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole cuitensis Forel, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole decarinata Santschi, 1929 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole escherichii Forel, 1910
 * Pheidole foreli Mayr, 1901 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole foreli pubens Forel, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole guineensis (Fabricius, 1793)
 * Pheidole hewitti Santschi, 1932 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole irritans (Smith, F., 1858) Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole kitschneri Forel, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole kohli Mayr, 1901 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole komori Fischer & Fisher, 2013 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole maufei Arnold, 1920 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole mayri Forel, 1894 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole mentita Santschi, 1914 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole mentita pullata Santschi, 1914 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole minima Mayr, 1901 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole minima catella Santschi, 1914 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole minima faurei Santschi, 1920 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole minima malelana Wheeler, W.M., 1922 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole minuscula Bernard, 1953
 * Pheidole mylognatha Wheeler, W.M., 1922 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole neokohli Wilson, 1984 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole nigritella Bernard, 1953 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole njassae legitima Santschi, 1916 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole philippi Emery, 1915
 * Pheidole punctulata subatrox Santschi, 1937 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole retronitens Santschi, 1930 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole rohani Santschi, 1925 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole rohani monardi Santschi, 1930 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole rohani pellax Santschi, 1930 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole rugaticeps Emery, 1877
 * Pheidole rugaticeps arabs Emery, 1881 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole saxicola Wheeler, W.M., 1922 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole scabriuscula Gerstäcker, 1871 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole schoutedeni Forel, 1913 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole schoutedeni platycephala Stitz, 1916 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole schultzei Forel, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole schultzei ebangana Santschi, 1937 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole schultzei gwaaiensis Forel, 1913 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole schultzei woodvalensis Arnold, 1960 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole sculpturata particeps Santschi, 1921 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole sinaitica Mayr, 1862
 * Pheidole spinulosa Forel, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole spinulosa conigera Forel, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole spinulosa messalina Forel, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole squalida Santschi, 1910 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole strator Forel, 1910
 * Pheidole strator fugax Arnold, 1920 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole strator tabida Menozzi, 1933 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole tenuinodis Mayr, 1901 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole tenuinodis bothae Forel, 1901 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole tenuinodis robusta Stitz, 1923 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole tenuinodis sipapomae Arnold, 1920 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole termitophila Forel, 1904 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole termitophila liberiensis Forel, 1911 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole tricarinata Santschi, 1914 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole vanderveldi Forel, 1913 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole variolosa Emery, 1892 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole victoris Forel, 1913 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole xocensis Forel, 1913 Endemic to this region
 * Pheidole xocensis bulawayensis Forel, 1913 Endemic to this region