Pheidole termitophila Forel

Soldier - Minor - Type location Sudan (Forel, 1904h: 13, soldier, worker & queen; the name suggests it lives with or in the nest mounds of termites); subspecies liberiensis (Forel, 1911e: 270, soldier & worker) from Liberia at Golah, collector?; soldier, worker 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) SOLDIER 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 soldier had the head entirely striate and with a long frontal groove; the clypeus submatt; postpetiole brown and reticulated much wider than long;
the worker 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 soldier and one minor, and a soldier 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 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 -