Pheidole dispar

These rare ants are infrequently encountered. They nest in soil under or between rocks. Little else is known about their biology.

Identification
The antennae are 11-segmented. The upper surface of the head is smooth or uniformly sculptured and lacks grooves for the reception of the antennae when at rest (antennal scrobes are absent). The front margin of the clypeus just above the mandibles has pairs of elongate hairs or setae which straddle the mid-line of the head and lacks a single central hair or seta. The clypeus is smooth or has weak, scattered sculpturing across it entire width. The petiole has a distinct, rounded node. There are major and minor workers but no intermediates (dimorphic). The ants are most likely to be confused with species of Adlerzia, Anisopheidole or possibly Pheidole because of the generally similar body size and shape of the presence of major workers. They can be separated by their 11-segmented antennae and smooth clypeus which lacks a pair of longitudinal ridges near its center. Shattuck (1999)

Distribution
This taxon was described from Australia.

Biology
The single described species is only known from Australia. They have been found in a wide range of localities and habitats, ranging from open savannah in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia, to rainforests along the east coast of Queensland and mallee in central New South Wales. (Shattuck 1999)

Nomenclature

 *  dispar. Liomyrmex (Machomyrma) dispar Forel, 1895f: 425 (s.w.q.) AUSTRALIA. Forel, 1913k: 27 (footnote) (q.). Combination in Machomyrma: Forel, 1913k: 27.