Pheidole melancholica Santschi - new status

Major - Minor - Type location Ivory Coast (Pheidole punctulata Mayr st. melancholica st., Santschi, 1912b: 164, major & minor; Bernard, 1952: 225, queen); unavailable name angulata (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
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 .