The Ants of Africa
Genus Pheidole
Pheidole schoutedeni Forel

excellens group - Major - head longer than wide by at least 25%, straight sided in full face view; mandibles very stout edentate border and without apical teeth; clypeus with median carina but anterior margin no more than medially concave; postpetiole with distinct lateral prominences produced as broad to acute spines; minor head square; major and minor with relatively swollen three-segmented club

{Pheidole schoutedeni}

Pheidole schoutedeni Forel

Major - return to key Minor - return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Zaïre (Forel, 1913b: 329, major & minor) collected at Welgelegen by J. Bequaert; junior synonym platycephala (Stitz, 1916: 380, illustrated, major & minor) from Zaïre, collected at Libenge by Schubotz; major & minor only described ( see Bolton, 1995) .

Forel's (1913b) description is at {original description}. Stitz's (1916) description of platycephala is at {original description}.

{Pheidole species T4}Nigeria specimen (as Pheidole species T4 in Taylor, 1980a: 25).
Major. TL 4.51 mm, HL 1.49, HW 1.24, SL 0.54, PW 0.65
The major, of which a single specimen was found, is quite distinctive, especially the elongated head with a bulging occiput when viewed in profile. Colour head brown, body darker posteriorly to a near black gaster, tarsi yellow. Erect hairs long, fine and abundant. Sculpturation reticulorugose on occiput and alitrunk; pedicel and gaster finely punctate. Promesonotum domed in profile; propodeal spines acute triangular. Postpetiole produced laterally to give blunt prominences. In many aspects apparently similar to Pheidole retronitens, although smaller and with shorter scapes (reaching posterior third of head in retronitens).

The single major specimen was found foraging on the ground at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Idi Ayunre, by me.

{Pheidole schoutedeni}The photomontage is of a major from Ghana, collected by Sky Stephens, 2006. Other images can be seen in the folders at - {original description} and {original description}

{Pheidole species T5} Nigeria specimen (as Pheidole species T5 in Taylor, 1980a: 25)
Minor. TL 3.11 mm, HL 0.72, HW 0.65, SL 0.73, PW 0.47
Colour orange-brown, head and gaster darker. The only sculpturation is spiculation on the lateral mesonotum. Erect hairs light, coarse and moderately abundant, especially on the head. Eyes relatively large. Clypeus with a medial carina and an almost straight anterior margin. Alitrunk without visible sutures.

A nest was found in insolated bare earth at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Idi Ayunre, by me. No majors were seen. Found foraging on the ground and tending aphids.

{Pheidole schoutedeni minor}The photomontage is of a minor from the Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha National Park, 02°55’04.8" N 16°10’09.7" E 450m environ; Camp 6; 22.ii.2005, A vu dans une petite saline aux abords du camp, 12h-16h; collector Philippe Annoyer; speculative identification. Other images can be seen in the folders at - {original description}.

{Pheidole schoutedeni minor}Specimens from Gabon Pongara National Park; savannah at Pointe Denis;16.vii.2006; 24 h pitfall traps perpendicular to beach; collected by L Volait & L V Guieu; are at {original description} {original description} and {original description}

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© 2007, 2008 - Brian Taylor CBiol FIBiol FRES
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