Pheidole capellinii Emery

Eguchi, K., 2008, A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)., Zootaxa 1902, pp. 1-118 : 11-14

Pheidole capellinii Emery

Figs. 1a-g

Pheidole capellinii Emery , 1887: 463. Eguchi 2001a: 7-8 (redescription of major & minor), Eguchi, Bui et al. 2005: 89 (checklist). Syntype: 1 major, "Giava" [Java, Indonesia], MCSN, examined.

Pheidole lighti Wheeler , 1927b: 2. Zhou & Zheng 1997: 222 (junior synonym of capellinii ), Eguchi 2001: 7 (lectotype designation). Syntypes: 1 major & 4 minors, "Back Liang, China, S.F. Light", MCZC cotype- 20661, examined.

Pheidole attila Forel , 1913: 34. Eguchi 2001a: 7 (lectotype designation, junior synonym of capellini). Syntypes: 3 majors & 3 minors, Bahsoemboe, Sumatra, MHNG, examined.

Other material examined: N. Vietnam: Ha Tay: Ba Vi N.P., 21°03'N, 105°23'E, 460 m alt. [TUS 15min. # 55 N.C. Duong]. Thailand: Chiang Mai: Doi Suthep-Pui N.P., 900 m alt. [Eg01-TH-091]; Songkhla: Ton Nga Chang, nr. Hat Yai [Eg01-TH-618]. Indonesia: W. Sumatra: Padang [M. Kawamura's colony: 4/27b (1998)]; C. Java: Kaliadem, 800-1000 m alt., G. Merapi [JV02/03-SKY-35, -44].

Worker measurements & indices: Major (n=4). - HL 1.75-2.18 mm; HW 1.58-1.98 mm; CI 86-91; SL 0.78-0.86 mm; SI 44-52; FL 1.28-1.46 mm; FI 74-83.

Minor (n=4). - HL 0.67-0.74 mm; HW 0.61-0.66 mm; CI 84-91; SL 0.69-0.75 mm; SI 113-121; FL 0.75-0.85 mm; FI 123-135.

Worker description

Major. - Head bearing very short appressed background hairs over entire surface and a few thick standing hairs dorsally; head in lateral view highly raised at the border of frons and vertex, not or hardly impressed on vertex; frons flat or very weakly impressed medially; frons and anterior part of vertex punctured, overlain by longitudinal rugulae; posterior part of vertex and dorsal and lateral faces of vertexal lobe largely rugoso-punctate, shagreened or almost smooth; frontal carina well developed horizontally, partly overhanging antennal scrobe; median part of clypeus punctured, with a relatively weak median longitudinal carina; median and submedian processes of hypostoma inconspicuous or poorly developed; lateral processes conspicuous; outer surface of mandible (excluding area around the base) smooth or shagreened, bearing short appressed hairs; antenna with a 3-segmented club; maximal diameter of eye much longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome at most with a few standing hairs, in lateral view with a conspicuous prominence on its posterior slope; humerus weakly produced laterad; the dome at the humeri usually narrower than at the bottom, but sometimes a little broader than at the bottom; propodeum without standing hairs. Petiole much longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive. First gastral tergite weakly punctured anteriorly and shagreened to smooth posteriorly.

Minor. - Dorsum of head punctured, bearing sparse, very short appressed background hairs, and having only a few standing hairs; preoccipital carina conspicuous dorsally and laterally; median part of clypeus weakly punctured; median longitudinal carina of clypeus conspicuous to weak, or absent; antenna with a 3- segmented club; scape exceeding posterior margin of head by 1.5* length of antennal segment II or more; maximal diameter of eye almost as long as or a little shorter than antennal segment X. Dorsal and lateral faces of mesosoma punctured (punctuation weaker in posterolateral part of promesonotal dome); promesonotal dome bearing a few short and thick standing hairs dorsally, in lateral view with a conspicuous prominence or mound on its posterior slope; humerus of the dome in dorso-oblique view not or very weakly produced laterad; propodeum without standing hairs. Petiole much longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive.

Recognition: This species is well characterized among Indo-Chinese species by the combination of the following characteristics: in the major and minor dorsum of head with a few thick standing hairs among very short appressed background hairs; in the major head in lateral view strongly raised at the border of frons and vertex; in the major frontal carina well developed horizontally, partly overhanging antennal scrobe; in the minor dorsum of head and dorsal and lateral faces of mesosoma punctured; in the major and minor promesonotal dome in lateral view with a conspicuous prominence or mound on its posterior slope.

The major of P. capellinii is similar to that of P. planifrons , but is easily separated from the latter by the following characteristics of the latter: head in lateral view poorly raised at the border between frons and vertex; vertex and lateral faces of vertexal lobe reticulate; first gastral tergite longitudinally rugoso-punctate entirely or excluding somewhat polished posteromedian part.

Distribution & bionomics: Known from N. Vietnam, China (Wheeler 1927b), Thailand, Sumatra and Java. This species occurs in open habitats, such as annual cropping fields, and nests in the soil.