Pheidole cheesmannae Donisthorpe 1941

Original description [1]

Pheidole (Pheidole) cheesmanae sp. n.

Queen. Blackish-brown, anterior portion of head, mandibles, antennae, and legs yellow ochre, teeth of mandibles and masticatory border black; gaster yellowish-brown, lighter at apex and base of segments, whole body clothed with longer and shorter, scattered, outstanding yellow hairs.

Head subquadrate, slightly broader than long, not counting the mandibles, slightly narrowed in front, posterior border truncate, posterior angles rounded; mandibles with a few round shallow scattered punctures, masticatory border armed with a pointed tooth at apex, and a small blunt one at base; clypeus slightly sinuate in centre; frontal area not clearly defined; clypeus and frontal area appear to be smooth and shining, but are actually marked with a few faint striae; rest of head with distinct raised longitudinal ridges, the interstices of which are shining, but finely punctured, the ridges forming a network at sides of head; antennae with scapes reaching a little beyond outer ocelli, club offuniculus not as long as the rest of the same, last joint of club about as long as the two preceding joints taken together. Thorax with anterior angles sharp, anterior border of pronotum narrowly margined; mesonotum with a smooth space in centre, and finely raised longitudinal ridges on each side, the interstices being punctured; scutellum transverse, smooth and shining, with a few round shallow punctures, the wide suture between mesonotum and scutellum longitudinally striate; spines of epinotum strong, sharply pointed, a raised ridge along the spines and the space between is transversely striate; node of petiole with a narrow raised ridge above sinuate in centre, surface beneath crenulate; post-petiole very transverse, considerably broader than petiole, armed at each side with a blunt tooth, slightly directed downwards at the end; some widely separated narrow raised longitudinal ridges occur on dorsal surface, the spaces between being asperately punctured; gaster longitudinally striate at extreme base, enclosing a few round shallow punctures, a few much smaller scattered punctures extend a little way down the first segment, the rest of the gaster being smooth and shining. Wings wanting. Long. 5·5 mm.

Described from a dealated female, JAPEN ISLAND: Mt. Baduri, 1000 ft., in mossy forest, viii.1938 (Miss L. E. Cheesman).

In British Museum (N.H.).

This insect may be the queen of one of the described workers, but it is unlike any of the known females from these regions.

References