Pheidole nimba

Pheidole nimba was found in the Mount Nimba Nature Reserve in Guinea, close to the border of Ivory Coast, on the Nion crest and at an altitude of 1300 m. It was described on the basis of four minor workers.

Identification
A member of the puchella species group - pulchella group description, puchella group species key.

In habitus and amount of punctate sculpture Pheidole dea is the species that most closely resembles Pheidole nimba. However, the clypeus, central area on frons, and posterior dorsopropodeum are smooth to superficially punctate, and standing hairs are relatively rare to almost absent in P. dea. (Fischer, Hita Garcia, & Peters 2012)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Guinea.

Nomenclature

 *  nimba. Pheidole nimba Bernard, 1953b: 224, fig. 8 (s.w.) GUINEA. See also: Fischer, et al. 2012: 31.

Fischer, Hita Garcia, & Peters (2012) - Pheidole nimba is the species with the most extensive and strongest sculpture in this group. Color is dark brown. Minor worker: head shape rounded (CI: 90), with medially impressed occipital carina. Uniformly and coarsely punctate on all dorsal surfaces from clypeus to anterior half of first gastral tergite, except smooth triangular spot between frontal carinae, and spaces between cross-ribs of metanotal groove. Standing hairs present on head, meso- and metasoma, moderately long and stiff. Scape and metatibia pilosity decumbent.

Worker
Fischer, Hita Garcia, & Peters (2012) - minor: Measurements (syntype): HL: 0.856, HW: 0.767, SL: 0.989, MDL: 0.578, EL: 0.189, MFL: 1.133, MTL: 0.889, WL: 1.156, PSL: 0.233, PTH: 0.178, PPH: 0.211, PTL: 0.356, PPL: 0.233, PTW: 0.122, PPW: 0.222, PW: 0.517; CI: 90, SI: 129, MDI: 75, PSLI: 27, PWI: 67, FI: 148, PpWI: 182, PpLI: 152.

Head longer than wide (CI: 84–90), almost elliptical, with posterior margin weakly compressed. Face strongly punctate, median part of clypeus weakly punctate, median carina conspicuous and short, lateral carinae well-developed. Punctures on malar area overlain by weak to irregular rugulae, ending at eye-level. Occipital carina narrow, medially conspicuously impressed, scapes relatively short (SI: 129), with decumbent pilosity. Promesonotal outline weakly convex in lateral view, subangulate towards posterior declivity. Mesonotal process flatly produced, angulate, declivity long and straight. Second mesonotal process more shallowly produced, similar in shape to first process, metanotal groove conspicuous and deep. Dorsopropodeum in lateral view distinctly declining towards propodeal declivity. Mesosoma strongly punctate except small superficially sculptured spot on posterior lateropronotum, punctures on anteropronotum overlain with weak and irregular transverse rugulae. Propodeal spines and metafemur moderately short (PSLI: 27, FI: 148), metatibia with decumbent pilosity. Petiole and postpetiole densely punctate dorsally, except anterodorsal surface of petiole ventrally punctate. Anterior half of first gastral tergite punctate, posterior half shagreened. Standing hairs moderately long and stiff, partly with blunt to truncate apices and relatively scarce on head and on pronotum. Pilosity on mesonotum and propodeum subdecumbent and shorter, additional short decumbent to subdecumbent pubescence present. Color uniformly brown.

Type Material
Fischer, Hita Garcia, & Peters (2012) - Syntypes (2 minor workers): GUINEA, Nion, 1300 m, maqun crête lamothe (F. Bernard) “No. 228 types” [examined].

Additional References

 * 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.