Pheidole lutea

The species was collected at elevation 725 m, in gallery forest. Nest was located in rotten log.

Identification
Salata and Fisher (2020) - Major: Head in full-face view oval, with anterior and posterior sides slightly convex; sides of the head with moderately dense, long, erect pilosity; occipital lobes and genae shiny, with thick, sparse, irregular rugae, interspaces with indistinct foveolae, sculpture weakening posteriorly; inner hypostomal teeth distinct, moderately high, closely spaced, triangular, with rounded apex and wide base; outer hypostomal approximately as high as inner hypostomal teeth, dentate, with very wide base, and upper half thin, rectangular with top pointed outward; mesosoma shiny, with fine, sparse rugoreticulation and indistinct, sparse foveolae, sculpture weakening on dorsum, anepisternum, katepisternum, and mesosoma smooth; gaster smooth; body orange to bright brown. Minor:. Frons, genae, and malar area smooth and shiny; vertex smooth and shiny with few arcuate, interrupted rugae; promesonotum moderately high, short, evenly arched; propodeal spines very small, indistinct, triangular; mesosoma smooth and shiny, only dorsum with few transverse, thick rugulae.

Pheidole lutea is most similar to Pheidole ranohirensis and Pheidole voasara. Major workers. Pheidole lutea differs from those both taxa by surface of 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 with top pointed outward, and by smooth anepisternum, katepisternum, and mesosoma. Minor workers. Pheidole lutea differs from P. ranohirensis in evenly arched, high and short promesonotum. Minor workers of P. voasara are unknown.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Nomenclature

 *  lutea. Pheidole lutea Salata & Fisher, 2020: 24, figs. 15A–F, 84Z, 87D (w.) MADAGASCAR.

Worker
Major (N = 1): HL: 0.97; HW: 0.9; SL: 0.47; EL: 0.09; WL: 0.8; PSL: 0.1; MTL: 0.48; PNW: 0.48; PTW: 0.14; PPW: 0.34; CI: 92.5; SI: 52.6; PSLI: 10.7; PPI: 40.8; PNI: 53.1; MTI: 53.6. Head. In full-face view oval, with anterior and posterior sides slightly convex. In lateral view sub-oval; ventral and dorsal faces convex; dorsal face not depressed posteriorly; inner hypostomal teeth visible. Sides of the head with moderately dense, long, erect pilosity; whole head with dense, short, suberect to erect pilosity. Antennal scrobes indistinct and not delimited by carinulae, scrobe surface shiny, with sparse, thick, longitudinal rugae, interspaces smooth or indistinctly rugulose. Occipital lobes and genae shiny, with thick, sparse, irregular rugae, interspaces with indistinct foveolae, sculpture weakening posteriorly; frons and malar area with dense, thick and longitudinal rugae, interspaces smooth. Centre of clypeus smooth and shiny, lateral sides with longitudinal rugae; median notch present, wide, and indistinct; median longitudinal carina absent; lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Scape, when laid back, slightly exceeding the midlength of head; pilosity suberect to erect. Inner hypostomal teeth distinct, moderately high, closely spaced, triangular, with rounded apex and wide base; outer hypostomal approximately as high as inner hypostomal teeth, dentate, with very wide base, and upper half thin, rectangular with top pointed outward. Mesosoma. In lateral view, promesonotum short, angular, and relatively high, posterior mesonotum relatively steep, tubercle-like projections absent or very indistinct; promesonotal groove absent; metanotal groove absent; propodeal spines minute, indistinct, triangular, with acute apex; humeral area laterally weakly produced. Surface shiny, with fine, sparse rugoreticulation and indistinct, sparse foveolae, sculpture weakening on dorsum, anepisternum, and katepisternum, mesosoma smooth. Pilosity moderately dense, long, and erect. Petiole. Shiny with fine, indistinct, and sparse foveolae; peduncle moderately short, with indistinct horizontal lobes on its basal part; node smooth, relatively low, triangular, with rounded apex, in rear view node straight; pilosity moderately sparse and erect. Postpetiole. Shiny, with fine, indistinct, and sparse foveolae; in dorsal view sides with short, acute, and triangular projections; pilosity long, moderately dense, and erect. Gaster. Smooth; pilosity dense, moderately long, and erect. Colour. Unicolourous, orange to bright brown; legs yellow; gaster brown

Unless otherwise noted above, the following characters occur in this species, and the majority of Pheidole majors of Madagascar described by Salata and Fisher 2020a. Antennal sockets shallow; frontal lobes absent; head in full-face view with distinct median concavity; antenna 12-segmented, with 3-segmented club; masticatory margin of mandible with large, stout apical and preapical teeth, followed by a long diastema and then a short and crenulate tooth just before the rounded basal angle; outer surface of mandible mostly smooth and shining, sometimes with weak and sparse foveolae; antennal scrobes present; promesonotum strongly convex, well above the level of propodeum; postpetiole short with slightly convex dorsum; ventral process absent.

Minor (N = 4): HL: 0.46-0.48 (0.47); HW: 0.41-0.43 (0.42); SL: 0.39-0.43 (0.42); EL: 0.06-0.08 (0.07); WL: 0.51-0.55 (0.53); PSL: 0.04-0.06 (0.05); MTL: 0.31-0.32 (0.32); PNW: 0.28-0.29 (0.28); PTW: 0.06-0.07 (0.07); PPW: 0.1-0.11 (0.1); CI: 88.7-90.3 (89.7); SI: 95.2-104.3 (100.0); PSLI: 9.4-12.4 (10.7); PPI: 61.6-71.2 (66.8); PNI: 65.6-68.4 (67.2); MTI: 74.8-76.8 (75.5). Head. Occipital margin straight or indistinctly concave; occipital carina absent. Pilosity moderately dense, relatively short, erect. Frons, genae, and malar area smooth and shiny; vertex smooth and shiny with few arcuate, interrupted rugae; antennal sockets with few thick, curved outward rugae. Clypeus with median longitudinal carina absent; two lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Scape, when laid back, surpassing the posterior head margin by one-fifth of its length; pilosity suberect. Mesosoma. In lateral view, promesonotum moderately high, short, evenly arched; promesonotal groove absent; metanotal groove absent; propodeal spines very small, indistinct, triangular, apex acute. Sculpture smooth and shiny, only dorsum with few transverse, thick rugulae. Pilosity moderately sparse, moderately long, and erect. Petiole. Peduncle moderately short and thin with ventral face slightly convex; node low, triangular, and small; with few moderately long, erect setae. Postpetiole. Short, low and slightly convex; with few moderately long, erect setae. Gaster. With moderately sparse, erect pilosity. Colour. Unicoloured, yellow.

Unless otherwise noted above, the following characters occur in this species, and the majority of Pheidole minors of Madagascar described by Salata and Fisher 2020a. Antennal sockets shallow; frontal lobes absent; head in full-face view oval, posterior and anterior of eyes convex; antenna 12-segmented, with 3-segmented club; humeral area not developed; clypeus smooth and shiny; its anterior margin regularly convex; promesonotum well above the level of propodeum; petiole smooth; petiole with node moderately low, triangular and small postpetiole smooth; gaster smooth and shiny.

Type Material
Holotype. Madagascar. 1 major worker; Fianarantsoa; Parc National d’Isalo, 9.1 km 354°N Ranohira;  ; alt. 725 m; 31 Jan 2003; B.L. Fisher et al. leg.; BLF07348, CASENT0485691. Paratypes. Madagascar. 5w.; same data as for holotype; CASENT0485689, CASENT0485690, CASENT0872151-CASENT0872153 (CASC).

Etymology
Latin for yellow, in reference to body colouration of major and minor workers.