Pheidole taipoana Wheeler

Pheidole taipoana Wheeler

Figs. 25a-g

Pheidole rinae subsp. taipoana Wheeler, 1928: 12. Eguchi 2001a: 23 (lectotype designation), Eguchi et al. 2004 (ecological study). Lectotype: major, "Taipo, Silvestri" [Taipo, New Territory, Hong Kong], MCZC cotype-20670, examined; paralectotypes: 2 majors & 6 minors, same data as the lectotype, MCZC cotype- 20670, examined.

Pheidole taipoana Wheeler. Eguchi, Yamane & Zhou, 2007: 271-273 (raised to species, redescription of major & minor).]

Other material examined: S. China: Guangxi: New campus of Guangxi Normal Univ., Guilin City [Eg00-GNGX-04]; Hong Kong: Taipo Kau N.P., New Territory [Eg00-HK-25]; nr. Taipo Kau N.P. [Eg00- HK-32]; Macau: Hac-Sa, Coloane I. [Eg99-MAC-13, -15]. Taiwan: Shinten, Formosa (Taiwan) [R. Takahashii leg., MCZC]. Vietnam: Quang Ninh: Ky Thuong N.R., 21°11'N, 107°07'E, ca. 210-220 m alt. [B&E03-83, - 85; Eg03-VN-184, -189, -193]. Eguchi's informal species code " Pheidole sp. eg-73" has been applied to these specimens.

Worker measurements & indices: Major (n=6). - HL 1.00-1.08 mm; HW 0.87-0.93 mm; CI 85-88; SL 0.41-0.45 mm; SI 46-50; FL 0.58-0.62 mm; FI 66-69.

Minor (n=6). - HL 0.45-0.48 mm; HW 0.39-0.43 mm; CI 87-89; SL 0.40-0.44 mm; SI 100-104; FL 0.44-0.48 mm; FI 108-113.

Worker description

Major. - Head in lateral view strongly impressed on vertex; frons and anterior part of vertex sparsely sculptured with weak longitudinal rugulae, with interspaces smooth; posterior part of vertex and dorsal and dorsolateral faces of vertexal lobe reticulate; frontal carina weak, extending beyond midlength of head; antennal scrobe inconspicuous; clypeus without median longitudinal carina; median and submedian processes of hypostoma conspicuous; lateral processes conspicuous to small; antenna with a 3-segmented club; maximal diameter of eye much longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; humerus of the dome weakly produced laterad; the dome (a little) broader at the humeri than at the bottom. Petiole much longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive. First gastral tergite largely smooth and shining, or weakly puctured at most around its articulation with postpetiole.

Minor. - Head smooth and shining; preoccipital carina inconspicuous to very weak dorsally; median part of clypeus smooth and shining, without a median longitudinal carina; antenna with a 3-segmented club; scape exceeding posterior margin of head by half length or almost the length of antennal segment II; maximal diameter of eye longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome smooth and shining, in lateral view at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; humerus in dorso-oblique view not or very weakly produced; mesopleuron, metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum almost smooth or very weakly punctured; propodeal spine elongate-triangular or spiniform. Petiole much longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive.

Recognition: This species is characterized among Indo-Chinese species by the following combination of features: in the major head in lateral view strongly impressed on vertex; in the minor dorsal and lateral faces of head and promesonotal dome smooth and shining; in the major frons and anterior part of vertex sparsely with weak longitudinal rugulae, with interspaces smooth and shining; in the major posterior part of vertex and dorsal and dorsolateral facecs of vertexal lobe reticulate, with enclosures punctured; in the major hypostoma in the middle with a conspicuous median process and a pair of conspicuous submedian processes; in the minor maximal diameter of eye longer than antennal segment X; in the major and minor promesonotal dome at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope.

This species is very similar to Pheidole laevicolor Eguchi, but distinguished from the latter which has the following characteristics of the major: head in lateral view weakly or hardly impressed on vertex; vertex reticulate entirely, with enclosures punctured.

Distribution & bionomics: Known from Vietnam, S. China and Taiwan. This species occurs more frequently in woody gardens and forest edges than in either open lands or well-developed forests, and nests in the soil (Eguchi et al. 2004).