Pheidole vieti Eguchi, 2008, sp.n.
Creators: name: Eguchi, K.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Pheidole
Pheidole vieti

description: Pheidole vieti sp.n.
Figs. 28a-h
Pheidole sp. eg-112. Eguchi, Bui et al. 2005: 91 (checklist).
Type material examined: Holotype: major, Ba Vi N.P., 400-600 m alt., Ha Tay (misspelled as "Ha Tai"), Vietnam [K. Eguchi leg., colony: Eg99-VN-092] (IEBR); paratypes: 5 minors from the same colony as holotype(IEBR, MCZC, MHNG & ACEG).
Other material examined: Vietnam: Vinh Phuc: Tam Dao N.P., 21°27'N, 105°38'E, 950 m alt. [Sk. Yamane]; Ha Tay (misspelled as "Ha Tai"): Ba Vi N.P., 600 m alt. [Eg99-VN-104]. Eguchi's informal species code " Pheidole sp. eg-112" applies to this species.
Worker measurements & indices: Holotype (major). - HL 1.21 mm; HW 1.16 mm; CI 95; SL 0.62 mm; SI 54; FL 0.81 mm; FI 70.
Nontype major (n=1). - HL 1.22 mm; HW 1.17 mm; CI 96; SL 0.60 mm; SI 51; FL 0.79 mm; FI 68.
Minor (n=3, including one paratype minor). - HL 0.59-0.64 mm; HW 0.55-0.60 mm; CI 92-94; SL 0.59-0.61 mm; SI 103-109; FL 0.63-0.68 mm; FI 114-117. Worker description
Major. - Body yellowish brown. Head in lateral view not impressed on vertex; frons and anterior part of vertex rugose longitudinally; posterior part of vertex sparsely and interruptedly sculptured with longitudinal rugulae; dorsum of vertexal lobe shagreened or only very weakly rugoso-punctate; frontal carina inconspicuous, present just as rugula(e); antennal scrobe almost absent; clypeus without a median longitudinal carina; median prosess of hypostoma variable in its development, conspicuous (nontype major) or completely absent (the holotype); submedian and lateral processes conspicuous; antenna with a 3-segmented club; eye consisting of less than 20 ommatidia; maximal diameter of eye shorter than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome smooth and shining, in lateral view lacking a mound on its posterior slope; humerus of the dome not produced; the dome at the humeri much narrower than at the bottom; mesopleuron weakly punctured largely; lateral face of propodeum almost smooth; metapleuron with several rugulae. Petiole a little longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole relatively massive. First gastral tergite smooth and shining excluding very weakly punctured area around its articulation with postpetiole.
Minor. - Body yellowish brown. Frons and vertex smooth; dorsolateral part of head partly to largely rugoso-punctate weakly or dimly; preoccipital carina complete but weak dorsally; median part of clypeus smooth and shining; the median longitudinal carina absent, or present at most anteriorly; antenna with a 3-segmented club; scape exceeding posterior margin of head by 1.5 times the length of antennal segment II or more; eye consisting of only ca. 8-12 ommatidia; maximal diameter of eye shorter than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome largely smooth and shining, in lateral view lacking a mound on its posterior slope; humerus of the dome in dorso-oblique view not produced; mesopleuron punctured; metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum very weakly punctured or almost smooth; propodeal spine elongate-triangular. Petiole almost as long as or only a little longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole relatively massive.
Recognition: This species has the following combination of diagnostic characteristics: in the major head in lateral view not impressed on vertex; in the minor head and promesonotal dome largely smooth and shining; in the major dorsum of vertexal lobe shagreened or only very weakly rugoso-punctate; in the major frontal carina inconspicuous, present just as rugula(e), and antennal scrobe almost absent; in the major submedian processes of hypostoma conspicuous; eye relatively reduced, consisting of ca. 13-19 ommatidia in the major and 8-12 ommatidia in the minor; in the major and minor promesonotal dome without a mound on its posterior slope; in the major and minor humerus of promesonotal dome not produced laterad; in the major and minor postpetiole relatively massive.
This species is similar to Pheidole vulgaris Eguchi, but head is shorter but higher and postpetiole is more massive in the major of the former than in that of the latter.
Distribution & bionomics: Known only from N. Vietnam.
description: Published as part of Eguchi, K., 2008, A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)., pp. 1-118 in Zootaxa 1902 on pages 100-103