Contents Contents The Ants of Egypt
SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Pheidole
Pheidole providens (Sykes) - minors

Pheidole providens (Sykes) - minors

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MINOR new description - TL ca 2.7, CI 80, SI 137, OI 34, MI 30-33, PI 67. Head a somewhat elongated oval (Iran and Qaliobyia specimens more square); with a very narrow nuchal collar. In profile the head evenly ovoid, with the anterior margin deeply incised by the mandibular insertion. The mandibles are long, with an evenly curved outer margin; the teeth are coarse and relatively large; and with two small apical teeth. The clypeus is markedly convex, with sharply defined lateral carinae. The anterior margin of the clypeus is straight, without a median carina; the margin has four conspicuous forward facing long hairs. Frontal carinae short, but reach back to beyond the anterior of the eye; they are weakly divergent posteriorly and are set quite close together, just over one-third the width of the head at the level of the antennal insertions. The scapes are long and slender, thickening only very slightly in the apical third, surpassing the occiput by about one-quarter of their length; funiculus about 25% longer than scape; the 3-segmented club has the apical segment only about one-third longer than the pre-apical segment; the pre-apical segments are about twice as long as they are wide; the club is about the same length as the rest of the funiculus. The eye is unusually large, almost circular and strongly convex; the anteriormost point is less than its own length back from the anterior point of the genae. The alitrunk profile has the promesonotum evenly and shallowly convex with the pro-mesonotal suture quite pronounced and interrupting the profile, also being incised laterally; the anterior of the mesonotum is raised into a distinct but low transverse welt; the metanotal groove is distinct but shallowly impressed both dorsally and laterally, with cross-ribs in the lateral part; the propodeum has the dorsum very weakly convex in profile and narrow lateral margination culminating in relatively large triangular teeth, the declivity is weakly concave. The petiole has quite a short narrow peduncle and a low triangular profile, with the apex rounded; the postpetiole has a low profile globular above but near flat below; from above the postpetiole is simply ovoid and about twice as wide as the petiole. The gaster is narrowly ovoid viewed from above but globular in profile; it has no obvious anterior margin. The legs are relatively long with weakly swollen femora. The whole of the head, body, antennae and legs bear fine, long, erect hairs; these are fairly abundant on the head, both dorsally and ventrally. Short oblique erect hairs give the scapes and legs a bristly appearance. Overall very shiny with very little sculpturation other than quite coarse puncturation on the lateral mesonotum and the whole of the propodeum. The genae have sharp carinae rounding around above the eye. Overall red-brown, the Israel specimens being darker, with somewhat lighter appendages and pedicel.


{Pheidole providens indica minor}The photomontage of a paralectotype minor worker of indica is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0906612.
The designation as paralectotype was by Eguchi (2004: 198).  All the fresh minor workers shown below are a very close match to this.


{Pheidole providens minor from El Minia}

The photomontage here is of a minor worker from Egypt, collected by Mahmoud Fadl Ali, El Minia; 2008. 

{Pheidole providens minor}

The photomontage here is of a minor worker from Egypt, Qaliobyia, collected by Mostafe Sharaf. 

{Pheidole providens minor from Israel}

The photomontage is of a minor worker from Israel, Tel Aviv Zoo, collected by Armin Ionescu; 20.iii.2007.

{Pheidole providens minor}The photomontage of a minor worker, labelled as indica, from India is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0281666

© 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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