Pheidole sykesii

A large species occurring in India, Pheidole sykesii nests are constructed with concentric soil walls around a central entrance, the walls preventing rain water from entering the nest. Within the nest are chambers used to store either grain or brood (eggs, larvae and pupae). The passageways to these chambers are relatively narrow and air is trapped within them, preventing the entrance of water. The concentric embankments vary across nests, from a single tube less than 25mm high in flat dry country, to a half-dozen concentric rings with a largest diameter of 450mm and with the centre tube 75mm or more high and each of the outer rings decreasing in height. Additionally, when the nest is on a slope, the up-hill half of a ring is always considerably higher than the lower half. Note that while Pheidole wroughtonii and Pheidole latinoda build similar nests, they are rudimentary compared with those of P. sykesi (Wroughton, 1892).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 *  sykesii. Pheidole sykesii Forel, 1902c: 173 (s.), 190 (w.q.m.) INDIA. [Also described as new by Forel, 1902f: 541.]

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Rajan P. D., M. Zacharias, and T. M. Mustak Ali. 2006. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Fauna of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka). Conservation Area Series, Zool. Surv. India.i-iv,27: 153-188.