The Ants of Africa

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 Forel

Soldier - Minor - Type location Zaïre (Forel, 1913b: 329, soldier & worker) collected at Welgelegen by J. Bequaert; junior synonym platycephala (Stitz, 1916: 380, illustrated, soldier & worker) from Zaïre, collected at Libenge by Schubotz; soldier and worker only described ( see Bolton, 1995) .

Forel's (1913b) description is at . Stitz's (19116) description of platycephala is at .

{Pheidole species T4} Pheidole species T⁴ Nigeria specimens

Soldier TL 4.51 mm, HL 1.49, HW 1.24, SL 0.54, PW 0.65

Minor unknown. The soldier, 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).

In Nigeria the single specimen was found foraging on the ground at CRIN.

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

{Pheidole species T5} Pheidole species T⁵ Nigeria specimens

Minor TL 3.11 mm, HL 0.72, HW 0.65, SL 0.73, PW 0.47

Soldier not known. 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.

In Nigeria a nest was found in insolated bare earth, no soldiers 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 - .

{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 and

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