Key to Pheidole ferruginea 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 ferruginea species group
 * Madagascar
 * Pheidole

1

 * Major workers. Head in full-face view sub-oval; sides of head with dense, very long, erect pilosity; antennal scrobes indistinct and not delimited by carinulae; propodeal spines triangular, with wide base (Fig. 34O). Minor workers. Propodeal spines short (Fig. 34P) . . . . . Pheidole longipilosa


 * Major workers. Head in full-face view cordate, widening posteriorly; sides of head never with dense, very long, erect pilosity; antennal scrobes developed, well delimited by carinulae; propodeal spines thin, with narrow base (Fig. 34A-D). Minor workers. Propodeal spines needle-like, moderately long to very long (Fig. 34I-L) . . . . . 2

2
return to couplet #1
 * Major workers. Antennal scrobes never with foveolate surface; outer hypostomal teeth pointed inward (Fig. 34A, E). Minor workers. Propodeal spines long, promesonotum flat, long, and box-like (Fig. 34I). . . . . Pheidole ferruginea


 * Major workers. Antennal scrobes with foveolate surface; outer hypostomal teeth pointed outward (Fig. 34B-D, F-H). Minor workers. Propodeal spines shorter, if long then promesonotum short, higher, and not box-like (Fig. 34J-L) . . . . . 3

3
return to couplet #2
 * Major workers. Antennal scrobes deep, predominantly foveolate; frons with thick, sparse, longitudinal to irregular rugae, interspaces predominantly smooth (Fig. 34B). Minor workers. Propodeal spines moderately long (Fig. 34J) . . . . . Pheidole rugocephala


 * Major workers. Antennal scrobes shallow, foveolate with additional sculpture; frons with longitudinal rugae and never smooth interspaces (Fig. 34C, D). Minor workers. Propodeal spines long (Fig. 34K, L) . . . . . 4

4
return to couplet #3
 * Major workers. Antennal scrobes foveolate with additional longitudinal rugae, frons with area between rugae with fine and dense rugulae, sometimes rugulae fading on the central part of frons, petiolar peduncle with wide and distinct horizontal lobes (Fig. 34C, M). Minor workers. Promesonotum with posterior declivity relatively steep, katepisternum and mesonotum with smooth notches (Fig. 34K) . . . . . Pheidole vohemarensis


 * Major workers. Antennal scrobes foveolate with additional irregular and indistinct rugae, frons with interspaces superficially foveolate, petiolar peduncle with shorter and less distinct horizontal lobes (Fig. 34D, N). Minor workers. Promesonotum with posterior declivity smoothly declining towards propodeum, katepisternum and mesonotum foveolate (Fig. 34L) . . . . . Pheidole manantenensis