Pheidole jordanica Saulcy

MAJOR MINOR
Type location Jordan (Saulcy, 1874: 17, major & minor) - no images available on Antweb (November 2014)
junior synonyms
obtusa (Pheidole megacephala F. r. obtusa n. v., Stitz, 1917: 340, illustrated, major; synonymy Finzi, 1936: 171) from Egypt - see below
schmitzi (Pheidole Schmitzi, n. sp., Forel, 1911h: 455, major, minor & queen) from Israel - no images available on Antweb (November 2014)
major, minor and queen described (see Bolton, 1995).

Saulcy's (1874) description is at . Emery (1889a) had the note Forel's (1911h) description of schmitzi is at ). Emery (1915j: 233) gave an illustrated description and comparision with sinaitica; this is at Stitz's (1917) description of obtusa is at . Finzi (1936: 161) gave notes, these are at .

With the receipt of specimens from El Minia, Egypt, Mostaf Sharaf and I have separated Pheidole laticeps (Mayr) as a distinct species.

From the Forel (1911h) description of schmitzi, it appears that there is a transverse welt on the mesonotum and the postpetiole is rhomboidal; if so, the species is likely to fall into the fervens species-group. The photographs of minor workers from Iran, below, show a rhomboidal postpetiole and show longitudinal rugae on the genae similar to those on the Pheidole fervens minor. The anterior clypeal margin is distinctly produced forward with a straight margin; the clypeus also appears to be bicarinate.

Collingwood (1985: 253) separated jordanica in his key as having the "Postpetiole longer than broad,about 0.2 X HW; funiculus segment 2 scarcely longer than broad". Collingwood & Agosti (1996: 323) added - Measurements SI 0.675; HW/PPW 0.227 (PPW = postpetiole width).

Reported from Sudan but the location was Khartoum (Karavaiev, 1911), and therefore it is not a true sub-saharan species.

Egypt records - recorded from Cairo by Emery (1889a: 442); junior synonym Pheidole megacephala r. obtusa Stitz (1917: 340, illustrated, soldier). Menozzi (1929e: 125) workers from Sinai oases at Feiran and Wadi Tarfa, collected by F S Bodenheimer. Alfieri (1931) listed one finding from Charkieh Province, Senchawa, 26.x.1925; also in Mohamed et al (2001).

Mohamad (1979) thesis had - Egypt (Det. Crawley, 1927) (Coll.Alf.) Gebel Elba, 22.i.1933 (Coll.Min.) Abu Mena, 8.iv.1954; Benha, 6.ii.1975; Cairo, 16.iii.,29.iv.1975; Alexandria, 27.iii.1975 (Coll.Ain.) Egypt (Det. Crawley, 1927) (Coll.Soc.)

The photomontage of what presumably is the type major worker of obtusa (from the location label and the Museum - Stiz collection? and that it matches the Stitz drawing) is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent09065161.

It is matched also by the major workers shown below or in the museum folders.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Pheidole jordanica B Taylor det.	Sudan Awatif Omer 05	2012 Sennar 13°36' N 33°01' E	Majors & minor	3
Pheidole jordanica B Taylor det.	Sudan Awatif Omer 2013.02.02	2013 Abu Hijar 12˚52' N 34˚0' E	minor workers	3
Pheidole jordanica B Taylor det.	Israel A Ionescu	19.iii.2007 Tel Aviv Zoo 32°5’0” N 34°49’0” E	.	5
Pheidole jordanica B Taylor det.	Egypt M Sharaf	7.iii.2003 Aswan 24°05' N 32°56' E	Nagh Ghalalab	2
Pheidole jordanica B Taylor det.	Egypt M Sharaf	17.viii.2007 Marsah Matrouh 24°05' N 32°56' E	.	3
Pheidole jordanica B Taylor det. queen & workers	Saudi Arabia M Sharaf	17.iv.2008 Dalaghan 18°05' N 42°43' E		5
Pheidole jordanica B Taylor det.	Saudi Arabia M Sharaf	18.i.2008 Wadi Abha 18°12'19” N 42°30'19” E		3
Pheidole jordanica B Taylor det.	Yemen J Batelka ex P Hlavac	3.xi.2010 Sana'a gov. 15°03.7' N 44°44.6' E	2510 m Jabal Haraz Mts S of Manakha Vill. Host of Paussus vougemontianus	3
Pheidole jordanica B Taylor det.	Iran O Paknia ZMGU 1353	viii.2004 Gonbad		1

For more examples see Workers.

The photomontage is of a major from Egypt, Nagh Ghalalab; collector Mostafa Sharaf.

The photomontage is of a minor from Egypt, Nagh Ghalalab, collector Mostafa Sharaf.

The photomontage is of a queen from Saudi Arabia, Dalaghan, collector Mostaf Sharaf.