Pheidole termitophila Forel

Major - Minor - Type location Sudan (Forel, 1904h: 13, major, minor & queen; the name suggests it lives with or in the nest mounds of termites); subspecies liberiensis (Pheidole termitophila Forel subsp. liberiensis n. subsp., Forel, 1911e: 270, major & minor) from Liberia at Golah, collector?; major, minor and queen described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Forel's (1904h) description is at . Forel's (1911e) description of liberiensis is at . Bernard's (1952: 226) note is at .

TL (liberiensis) MAJOR 3.4 mm, MINOR 1.9 mm; general pale colour and body shape resembling Pheidole miniscula but larger and differing in details of antennae and petiole. In his description of miniscula, Bernard (1952) noted :
the liberiensis major had the head entirely striate and with a long frontal groove; the clypeus submatt; postpetiole brown and reticulated much wider than long;
the minor had the second segment of the antennal club twice as long as wide; (propodeal) spines quite distinct; postpetiole angular and twice as wide as is is long..

Wheeler (1922) has a record of the species sensu stricto from Senegal (Dakar, F. Silvestri) and liberiensis from Guinea (Mamou and Kakoulima, by F. Silvestri).

Bernard (1952: 226, illustrated) noted the typical form had been found also in Benin. From Guinea he reported further findings of liberiensis (with a larger postpetiole) at Zouépo, 1250 m, one major and one minor, and a major from Camp IV (forest, 1000 m, Lamotte) which differed in having a browner head and with the vertex more indented posteriorly.

The photomontage is of a minor specimen from Gabon, Pongara National Park; 20.vi.2006; on forest track; collected by Yves Braet. Other images can be seen in the folders at - , and

The photomontage is of a minor specimen from Mali, Bamako, 12.37.48° N 8.00.27° W, 323 m; Nest in soil in hotel grounds; collected by David M King. Other images can be seen in the folder at -

Images of a specimen from Mali, Bamako; 12.37.11° N 08.0056° W; 323 m asl; 9.ii.2009; collector David King; King 103; residential area near Niger River, can be seen in the folder at - .

The photomontage is of a specimen from Congo, Brazzaville, 19.viii.2007; 24 h pitfall trap t 1.17; collected by Yves Braet & Eric Zassi .

Other workers from Congo - Réserve de Lésio-Louna, S 03°16'58.6" E 015°28'26.2"; n sp 45 & n sp 49; pitfall trap 13, t 3 and 01, t2; 19-20.xi.2007; wooded savannah; collected by Eric Zassi - can be seen in the folder at - and