Pheidole indosinensis Wheeler
Creators: name: Eguchi, Katsuyuki
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Pheidole
Pheidole indosinensis

description: <i>Pheidole indosinensis</i> Wheeler stat.n. Figs. 11a–h <i>Pheidole sulcaticeps</i> subsp. <i>indosinensis</i> Wheeler, 1928: 10. Eguchi, Bui <i>et al.</i> 2005: 90 (checklist). Syntypes: 6 minors, “Yi Liang, Indochina, F. Silvestri leg.” [China], MCZC cotype-20665, examined. <b>Other material examined:</b> S. China: Guangdong: Dawuling N.R., Maoming [J. Fellowes], Nankunshan N.R., Top Gate, Longmen [J. Fellowes]; Hainan: Diaoluoshan N.R., Lingshui [J. Fellowes], Jianfengling N.R., Ledong [J. Fellowes]. N. Vietnam: Vinh Phuc: Tam Dao N.P., 21°27’N, 105°38’E, ca. 900 m alt. [Eg01- VN-108, -110, -111], Tam Dao N.P., 900–1100 m alt. [Eg99-VN-054, -057]; Ha Tay (misspelled as “Ha Tai”): Ba Vi N.P., 21°03’N, 105°22’E, ca. 1100 m alt. [Eg02-VN-032, -034], Ba Vi N.P., 1100–1200 m alt. [Eg99- VN-128]. <b>Worker measurements &amp; indices:</b> Major (n=5). — HL 1.65–1.80 mm; HW 1.58–1.78 mm; CI 94–99; SL 0.91–0.99 mm; SI 55–59; FL 1.27–1.36 mm; FI 76–84. Minor (n=5). — HL 0.70–0.78 mm; HW 0.59–0.67 mm; CI 83–86; SL 0.87–0.96 mm; SI 143–149; FL 0.89–1.00 mm; FI 149–157. <b>Worker description</b> Major. — Body deep yellowish-brown with paler appendages. Head in lateral view not or hardly impressed on vertex; vertexal lobes in full-face view relatively widely separated from each other; frons and anterior part of vertex rugose longitudinally-obliquely; posterior part of vertex and dorsal and dorsolateral faces of vertexal lobe rugoso-reticulate or reticulate; median longitudinal carina of clypeus usually conspicuous but sometimes very weak or inconspicuous; frontal carina relatively well developed; antennal scrobe present as a shallow impression; median process of hypostoma poorly developed or almost absent; submedian processes developed well; lateral processes conspicuous; antenna with a 3-segmented club; maximal diameter of eye shorter than or almost as long as antennal segment X (sometimes a little longer than antennal segment X). Promesonotal dome in dorsal view sparsely rugose or rugoso-reticulate transversely, with interspaces smooth, in lateral view with a low prominence/mound on its posterior slope; humerus hardly or very weakly produced laterad; the dome at the humeri as broad as or narrower than at the bottom. Petiole longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive. First gasteral tergite smooth over the surface or very weakly punctured in its anterior 1/3. Minor. — Body yellowish-brown. Frons and vertex smooth and shining or shagreened, or sometimes weakly rugoso-reticulate; dorsolateral and lateral face of head usually rugoso-reticulate dimly or weakly; median portion of clypeus smooth and shining, with a weak or conspicuous median longitudinal carina; preoccipital carina conspicuous dorsally and laterally; antenna with a 3-segmented club; scape extending far beyond posterolateral margin of head; maximal diameter of eye shorter than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome largely smooth and shining, in lateral view usually with an inconspicuous mound on its gentle posterior slope; humerus in dorso-oblique view usually (but not always) produced very weakly; mesopleuron, metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum weakly punctured; propodeal spine elongate-triangular. Petiole longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive. <b>Recognition:</b> I was unable to find the type material of the nominotypical taxon of <i>Pheidole sulcaticeps</i> Roger in a possible depository (Zoologisches Museum an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin). According to its original description (Roger, 1863a: 193–194) head of the major is in lateral view strongly impressed at the posterior 1/3 of its dorsum, and dorsum of “mesonotum [= a mound (prominence) on the posterior slope of promesonotal dome]” of the minor is in lateral view horizontal at the begining. These characteristics are not seen in <i>P.sulcaticeps</i> subsp. <i>indosinensis</i> which I recognised based on my examination of the type material of the subspecies. Thus, I here conclude that the two forms are different from each other at the species level, and raise the subspecies <i>indosinensis</i> to the species rank. This species is characterized among Indo-Chinese species by a combination of the following characteristics: in the major dorsal and lateral faces of vertexal lobe rugoso-reticulate or reticulate; in the major frontal carina relatively well developed; in the minor preoccipital carina conspicuous dorsally and laterally; in the major submedian processes of hypostoma well developed; in the major posterior slope of promesonotal dome with a low prominence/mound; in the major and minor petiole longer than postpetiole. This species is similar to <i>Pheidole elongicephala</i> sp.n. and <i>P. ochracea</i> sp.n. However, in the major of the latter two vertexal lobes in full-face view relatively close to each other; and submedian processes of hypostoma is usually (but not always) very small or inconspicuous. <b>Distribution &amp; bionomics:</b> Known from N. Vietnam and S. China. This species seemingly prefers woody habitats. Majors serve as repletes [Eg99-VN-128].
description: Published as part of <i>Eguchi, Katsuyuki, 2008, A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), pp. 1-118 in Zootaxa 1902 (1)</i> on pages 43-46, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1902.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5134231
description: {"references": ["Wheeler, W. M. (1928) Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in China. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia generale e agraria del R. Instituto Superiore agrario di Portici, 22, 3 - 38.", "Roger, J. (1863 a) Die neu aufgefuhrten Gattungen und Arten meines Formiciden-Verzeichnisses, nebst Erganzung einiger fruher gegebenen Beschreibungen. Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift, 7, 131 - 214."]}