Pheidole melancholica Santschi - new status

Major - Minor - Type location Ivory Coast (Pheidole punctulata Mayr st. melancholica n. st., Santschi, 1912b: 164, major & minor; Bernard, 1952: 225, queen), collected at Jacqueville, by J H Lohier; unavailable name angulata (Pheidole megacephala F. r. punctulata Mayr v. angulata n. v., Stitz, 1911b: 385, major & minor) from Rwanda .

Santschi's (1912b) description is at . Stitz's (1911b) description of angulata is at . Emery's (1915j) revision of melancholica is at . Bernard's (1952) notes and description of the queen is at .

Major (Santschi, 1912b) - comparisons all with punctulata - TL 4.3 mm; head longer and more oval; rugose and puncturate with front of head more shiny but in a smaller area; fine striations on head converge to occiput to form a fine reticulate puncturation; otherwise more strongly sculptured; black or very dark brown, passing to red brown on the mandibles, anterior of head and sides of mesonotum; appendages yellow brown; reddish pilosity more spaced. This form is close to aurivilli by the shape of the head, that is much narrower. specially anteriorly than with rotundata and and long than punctulata.
Minor - TL 3 mm; head longer and more rounded posteriorly; dorsum of alitrunk more strongly sculptured; propodeum longer with stronger spines; black or very dark brown, appendages and mandibles brownish.

Type collected at Jacqueville, by Lohier, in Wheeler (1922) listed melancholica from Ghana (Aburi, F. Silvestri).

The photomontage is of a major from Gabon, Pongara National Park; Pointe Wingombé; 20.vii.2006; pitfall traps under forest cover; collector Yves Braet. Other images can be seen in the folder at - .

The photomontage is of a minor from Gabon, collected by Yves Braet, 2006. Other images can be seen in the folders at - , and .

The photomontage is of a minor from Ghana, collected by Sky Stephens, 2006. Other images can be seen in the folders at - , and .