Pheidole vieti

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Eguchi (2008) - This species has the following combination of diagnostic characteristics: in the major head in lateral view not impressed on vertex; in the minor head and promesonotal dome largely smooth and shining; in the major dorsum of vertexal lobe shagreened or only very weakly rugoso-punctate; in the major frontal carina inconspicuous, present just as rugula(e), and antennal scrobe almost absent; in the major submedian processes of hypostoma conspicuous; eye relatively reduced, consisting of ca. 13–19 ommatidia in the major and 8–12 ommatidia in the minor; in the major and minor promesonotal dome without a mound on its posterior slope; in the major and minor humerus of promesonotal dome not produced laterad; in the major and minor postpetiole relatively massive.

This species is similar to Pheidole vulgaris Eguchi, but head is shorter but higher and postpetiole is more massive in the major of the former than in that of the latter.

Distribution
Known only from N. Vietnam.

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

Nomenclature

 *  vieti. Pheidole vieti Eguchi, 2008: 100, figs. 28a-h (s.w.) VIETNAM.

Worker
Holotype (major). — HL 1.21 mm; HW 1.16 mm; CI 95; SL 0.62 mm; SI 54; FL 0.81 mm; FI 70. Nontype major (n=1). — HL 1.22 mm; HW 1.17 mm; CI 96; SL 0.60 mm; SI 51; FL 0.79 mm; FI 68. Minor (n=3, including one paratype minor). — HL 0.59–0.64 mm; HW 0.55–0.60 mm; CI 92–94; SL 0.59–0.61 mm; SI 103–109; FL 0.63–0.68 mm; FI 114–117.

Major — Body yellowish brown. Head in lateral view not impressed on vertex; frons and anterior part of vertex rugose longitudinally; posterior part of vertex sparsely and interruptedly sculptured with longitudinal rugulae; dorsum of vertexal lobe shagreened or only very weakly rugoso-punctate; frontal carina inconspicuous, present just as rugula(e); antennal scrobe almost absent; clypeus without a median longitudinal carina; median prosess of hypostoma variable in its development, conspicuous (nontype major) or completely absent (the holotype); submedian and lateral processes conspicuous; antenna with a 3-segmented club; eye consisting of less than 20 ommatidia; maximal diameter of eye shorter than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome smooth and shining, in lateral view lacking a mound on its posterior slope; humerus of the dome not produced; the dome at the humeri much narrower than at the bottom; mesopleuron weakly punctured largely; lateral face of propodeum almost smooth; metapleuron with several rugulae. Petiole a little longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole relatively massive. First gastral tergite smooth and shining excluding very weakly punctured area around its articulation with postpetiole.

Minor — Body yellowish brown. Frons and vertex smooth; dorsolateral part of head partly to largely rugoso-punctate weakly or dimly; preoccipital carina complete but weak dorsally; median part of clypeus smooth and shining; the median longitudinal carina absent, or present at most anteriorly; antenna with a 3-segmented club; scape exceeding posterior margin of head by 1.5 times the length of antennal segment II or more; eye consisting of only ca. 8–12 ommatidia; maximal diameter of eye shorter than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome largely smooth and shining, in lateral view lacking a mound on its posterior slope; humerus of the dome in dorso-oblique view not produced; mesopleuron punctured; metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum very weakly punctured or almost smooth; propodeal spine elongate-triangular. Petiole almost as long as or only a little longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole relatively massive.

Type Material
Holotype: major, Ba Vi N.P., 400–600 m alt., Ha Tay (misspelled as “Ha Tai”), Vietnam [K. Eguchi leg., colony: Eg99-VN-092], examined; paratypes: 5 minors from the same colony as holotype (IEBR, , & ), examined.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Alcantara M. J., S. Modi, T. C. Ling, J. Monkai, H. Xu, S. Huang, and A. Nakamura. 2019. Differences in geographic distribution of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) between forests and rubber plantations: a case study in Xishuangbanna, China, and a global meta-analysis. Myrmecological News 29: 135-145.
 * Eguchi K. 2008. A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Zootaxa 1902: 1-118.
 * 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.
 * Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128
 * 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