Key to Afrotropical Pheidole pulchella-group species

A Key to the Afrotropical Pheidole puchella-group species

Fischer, G., Hita Garcia, F., & Peters, M.K. 2012. Taxonomy of the ant genus Pheidole Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Afrotropical zoogeographic region: definition of species groups and systematic revision of the Pheidole pulchella group. Zootaxa, 3232, 1-43.

A description of the group can be found here: pulchella group.

The key includes minors and majors.

1

 * Minor: in full-face view lateral head margin with abundant projecting hairs, both anterior and posterior of eye-level (Fig. 2A). Minor and major: color yellow to orange . . . . . 2


 * Minor: in full-face view either without laterally projecting hairs at head margin (Fig. 2C), or if present, then only posterior of eyes (Fig. 2B). Minor and major: color light, reddish brown to very dark brown, sometimes black . . . . . 4

2
return to couplet #1
 * Minor: head evenly rounded at sides and posterior margin; head relatively shorter (CI: 82–90); pilosity on scape and metatibia decumbent (Fig. 3A). Major: antennal scrobe conspicuous; sides of head without laterally projecting hairs in full-face view (Fig. 3B). (Congo, Gabon) . . . . . Pheidole pulchella


 * Minor: sides of head posterior of eyes sublinear and elongated; head relatively longer (CI: 73–84); pilosity on scape and metatibia suberect-erect (Fig. 3C). Major (of P. heliosa; major of P. christinae unknown): antennal scrobe absent or inconspicuous; head in full-face view with laterally projecting hairs (Fig. 3D) . . . . . 3

3
return to couplet #2
 * Minor: head, scapes and legs very long (CI: 73–76, SI: 162–174, FI: 206–213); occipital carina broadly extended and collarlike; standing hairs acute and very abundant (Fig. 4A), present also on lower meso- and metapleuron, visible in dorsal view. Major: head without antennal scrobe; in full-face view hairs projecting beyond lateral margin. (Cameroon, Ivory Coast). (Major of P. christinae unknown) . . . . . Pheidole heliosa


 * Minor: head, scape and legs relatively shorter (CI: 79–84, SI: 143–164, FI: 175–198); occipital carina narrow, not collar-like; standing hairs often apically truncated or split, generally less abundant (Fig. 4B), absent on lower meso- and metapleuron. (D.R. Congo, Gabon, Uganda) . . . . . Pheidole christinae

4
return to couplet #1
 * Minor: head with several relatively long, laterally projecting hairs posterior of eye-level (Fig. 5A). Major: either posterolateral lobes partly smooth and shiny and scape with erect hairs in addition to decumbent pilosity (Fig. 5B), or posterolateral lobes uniformly punctate with weak rugulae and posterior dorsopropodeum with oblique to longitudinal rugulae (Fig. 5C) . . . . . 5


 * Minor: head completely without or at most with one or two moderately long projecting hairs near eyes or towards posterior margin (Fig. 5D). Major: head sculpture various; scape never with several erect hairs in addition to appressed or decumbent pilosity (Fig. 5E); sculpture on posterior dorsopropodeum transversely rugulose, punctate or smooth, and never with oblique or longitudinal rugulae (Fig. 5F) . . . . . 7

5
return to couplet #4
 * Minor: head shape elliptical (CI: 79–89); posterior margin relatively narrow and evenly convex; occipital carina with weak median impression; scapes moderately long (SI: 139–172), with pilosity uniformly suberect or decumbent (Fig. 6A). Major: posterolateral lobes partly smooth and shiny and scape with erect hairs in addition to decumbent pilosity, or posterolateral lobes uniformly punctate with weak rugulae and posterior dorsopropodeum with oblique to longitudinal rugulae. (Major of P. setosa unknown) . . . . . 6


 * Minor: head shape broadly rounded, posterior margin not evenly convex (CI: 87–90); occipital carina without median impression; scapes relatively shorter (SI: 129–135); scape pilosity decumbent with additional suberect hairs on outer edge (Fig. 6B). (D.R. Congo) . . . . . Pheidole setosa

6
return to couplet #5
 * Minor: head relatively narrow (CI: 79–86); scapes long (SI: 153–172); scape pilosity uniformly decumbent; face almost completely and distinctly punctate (Fig. 7A). Major: posterolateral lobes uniformly punctate with some weak rugulae; scape with uniformly appressed to decumbent pilosity; posterior dorsopropodeum with oblique to longitudinal rugulae (Fig. 7B). (Central African Republic, D.R. Congo, Gabon) . . . . . Pheidole batrachorum 


 * Minor: head relatively wider (CI: 84–89); scapes slightly shorter (SI: 139–160); scape pilosity uniformly subdecumbent to suberect; face smooth and shiny, hexagonally microsculptured to very faintly punctate (Fig. 7C). Major: posterolateral lobes partly smooth and shiny; scape with some erect hairs additional to decumbent pilosity; posterior dorsopropodeum weakly to superficially rugulose-punctate (Fig. 7D). (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon) . . . . . Pheidole darwini

7
return to couplet #4
 * Minor: sculpture variable, but head and mesosoma never completely and coarsely punctate; at least medially between eyes and on posterior dorsopronotum superficially sculptured to smooth and shiny (Fig. 8A). Major: head sculpture variable, but never distinctly punctate on frons, vertex and posterolateral lobes; gaster never entirely shagreened. (Major of P. nimba unknown) . . . . . 8


 * Minor: head and mesosoma almost completely and coarsely punctate (Fig. 8B) . . . . . Pheidole nimba 

8
return to couplet #7
 * Minor: head longer than wide (CI: 85–95), posterior margin roundly or slightly convex (Fig. 9A); scapes and mandibles moderately long (SI: 123–150, MDI: 72–79). Major: posterolateral lobes variably sculptured, never smooth and shiny; face with distinct and moderately long to long rugae; dorsal promesonotum mostly weakly to superficially sculptured (Fig. 9B) . . . . . 9


 * Minor: head almost as wide as long (CI: 94–98), posterior margin not convex, but almost straight (Fig. 9C); scapes and mandibles shorter (SI: 114–121, MDI: 69–73). Major: posterolateral lobes smooth and shiny; face with weak and relatively short rugae; dorsal promesonotum mostly smooth and shiny, with superficial rugulae anteriorly (Fig. 9D). (Ghana, Ivory Coast) . . . . . Pheidole rebeccae

9
return to couplet #8
 * Minor: long or moderately long hairs completely absent on mesosoma and waist segments; petiole and postpetiole without laterally projecting hairs in dorsal view; metatibia pilosity appressed; second mesonotal process and sculpture on propodeum reduced; metanotal groove wide in profile (Fig. 10A); spines long (PSLI (mean): 33). Major: scape and metatibia pilosity fine and inconspicuous, mostly fully appressed (Fig. 10B); long standing hairs absent on promesonotum. (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon) . . . . . Pheidole glabrella


 * Minor: moderately long hairs at least present on waist segments, sometimes also on promesonotum; on petiole and/or postpetiole some laterally projecting hairs in dorsal view; metatibia pilosity decumbent; second mesonotal process and sculpture on propodeum not reduced; metanotal groove relatively narrow in profile (Fig. 10C); spines slightly shorter (PSLI (mean): 29). Major: scape and metatibia pilosity conspicuous and decumbent (Fig. 10D); standing hairs often present on promesonotum . . . . . 10

10
return to couplet #9
 * Minor: posterior head margin roundly convex; face and dorsal promesonotum mostly superficially punctate to punctate; second mesonotal process not raised above the level of dorsopropodeum (Fig.11A); postpetiole relatively short (PpLI: 155–223). Major: posterolateral lobes of head longitudinally rugose (Fig. 11B), with spaces between rugae weakly to superficially punctate; second mesonotal process at same level as dorsopropodeum. (D.R. Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) . . . . . Pheidole dea


 * Minor: posterior head margin weakly convex, with small median impression; face and promesonotum smooth and shiny, with very few superficial punctures; in lateral view second mesonotal process distinctly raised above the level of dorsopropodeum (Fig. 11C); postpetiole relatively longer (PpLI: 126–167). Major: posterolateral lobes of head punctate, overlain by oblique and superficial rugulae (Fig. 11D); in lateral view second mesonotal process raised above level of dorsopropodeum. (Nigeria) . . . . . Pheidole semidea