Key to Pheidole lutea species group

This worker key is based on: [[Media:Salata, S., Fisher, B.L. 2020. Pheidole of Madagascar (10.3897@zookeys.905.39592).pdf|Salata, S. and B.L. Fisher. 2020a. Pheidole Westwood, 1839 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Madagascar – an introduction and a taxonomic revision of eleven species groups. ZooKeys. 905:1–235.]]

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 * Pheidole lutea species group
 * Madagascar
 * Pheidole

1

 * Major workers. Head, in full-face view, elongate; occipital lobes smooth (Fig. 13), sometimes with indistinct, very sparse, longitudinal to irregular rugoreticulate; genae smooth. Minor workers. Head vertex smooth and never with few arcuate, interrupted rugae; scape, when laid back, reaching posterior head margin (Fig. 13) . . . . . 2


 * Major workers. Head, in full-face view, oval; occipital lobes and genae with thick, sparse, irregular rugae, interspaces with indistinct foveolae (Fig. 14). Minor workers. Vertex smooth and with few arcuate, interrupted rugae; scape, when laid back, surpassing the posterior head margin by one-fifth of its length (Fig. 14) . . . . . 3

2
return to couplet #1
 * Major workers. Genae and antennal scrobes never foveolate, outer hypostomal teeth approximately as high as inner hypostomal teeth, with very wide base and upper half thin, rectangular, and pointed outward, anepisternum, katepisternum, and mesosoma smooth (Fig. 13A, F, I). Minor workers. Promesonotum in later view evenly arched, high, and short (Fig. 13D) . . . . . Pheidole lutea


 * Major workers. Genae and antennal scrobes foveolate, outer hypostomal teeth dentate, smaller and thinner than inner hypostomal teeth and never pointed outward; anepisternum, katepisternum, and mesosoma never entirely smooth (Fig. 13B, G, J). Minor workers. Promesonotum in later view low, short, slightly convex, and with relatively steep posterior declivity (Fig. 13E) . . . . . Pheidole ranohirensis

3
return to couplet #1
 * Major workers. Eyes well-developed (EL > 0.1), posterior mesonotum never concave, outer hypostomal teeth weakly developed (Fig. 14A, D). Minor workers. Eyes well developed (EL > 0.07), promesonotum convex, and propodeal spines small, triangular (Fig. 14G) . . . . . Pheidole navoatrensis (Note: If outer hypostomal teeth are lobe-like, bigger and wider than inner hypostomal teeth (Fig. 13K) then see a diagnosis of P. voasara of which minor workers are unknown.)


 * Major workers. Eyes small and reduced (EL < 0.1), posterior mesonotum concave, outer hypostomal teeth well developed (Fig. 14B, C, E, F). Minor workers. Eyes small and reduced (EL < 0.06), promesonotum box-like, if convex then propodeal spines indistinct (Fig. 14H, I) . . . . . 4

4
return to couplet #3
 * Major workers. Sides of head with sparse and short pilosity, inner hypostomal teeth distinct, triangular, propodeal spines short and triangular (Fig. 14C, F, K). Minor workers. Promesonotum box-like, propodeal spines distinct, short and triangular (Fig. 14I) . . . . . Pheidole typhlos


 * Major workers. Sides of head with dense and relatively long pilosity, inner hypostomal teeth indistinct, lobe-like, propodeal spines absent or weakly developed (Fig. 14B, E, J). Minor workers. Promesonotum convex, propodeal spines weakly developed, indistinct (Fig. 1H) . . . . . Pheidole parviocula