Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius, 1793)

Material examined. Bukit Batok East Avenue 6, 1.34304, 103.76235, 30 Aug 2016, G.W. Yong leg., BB4GH101, ZRC _HYM_0001776; Bukit Timah forest, Oct 1968, D.H. Murphy leg., ZRC _HYM_0000739; University campus (Bukit Timah), 23 Jun 1968, D.H. Murphy leg., ZRC _HYM_0000738 .

Material not physically examined. In Wetterer (2012) – site unknown, 1879, F. Smith (BMNH). Non-types, ANIC32-022899 (ANIC). Non-types, J.K. Wetterer leg. (USNM) – Bishan, by MRT station, 31 Jul 2014, vial #424; Harbourfront, 4 Aug 2014, vial #469; Little India, 27 Jul 2014, vial #330; Mountbatten, by MRT station, 4 Aug 2014, vial #465; Promenade, by MRT station, 4 Aug 2014, vial #466 .

Literature. Forel (1901); Wetterer (2007, 2012); Tan & Corlett (2012).

Localities. Bishan; Bukit Batok East; Bukit Timah forest; Harbourfront; Little India; Mountbatten; University campus (Bukit Timah); National University of Singapore campus (Clementi/Kent Ridge); Promenade.

Habitat/Ecology. This species was found mostly in disturbed young secondary forest fragments in urban or semi-urban settings in Singapore, including waste woodlands and abandoned plantation forests, also along exposed forest fringes. Sometimes, ant trails were also found within urban man-made infrastructure such as concrete buildings, typically close to adjoining patches of disturbed spontaneous vegetation.

Remarks. Commonly known as the ‘African big-headed ant’, P. megacephala is a recognized globally widespread and particularly aggressive invasive species. It has been reported to often have severe negative impacts on native invertebrate fauna where it occurs (Wetterer 2012a). The native range of P. megacephala is presumably the Afrotropical region (Wetterer 2015),