Species: Pheidole fervens Smith, F. 1858
Usage: valid
Holotype: CASC - BLF12072 - CASENT0060250
Lectotype: OUMNH - ANTC20930 - CASENT0901407
Syntype: BMNH - ANTC21037 - CASENT0901519
Syntype: BMNH - ANTC21037 - CASENT0901520
Syntype: BMNH - ANTC21038 - CASENT0901521
Syntype: BMNH - ANTC21039 - CASENT0901522
Syntype: BMNH - ANTC21040 - CASENT0901523
Pheidole fervens has 12-segmented antennae, 3-segmented antennal clubs, propodeal spines, long thin pilosity, and a bimorphic worker caste. The minor workers are small, pale to medium yellow and have long legs and long antennal scapes, very small propodeal spines, and no antennal scrobes. Sculpture on the minor worker is restricted to the middle and posteriorportions of the mesosoma. The major workers are larger, darker and are have oversized, heavily sculptured heads. The majors also have distinct antennal scrobes and longer propodeal spines than the minors. Pheidole fervens recruits strongly to baits and food resources and forms long and busy foraging trails. Minor workers are much more abundant than major workers, both outside of and within the nest.
Worker castes bimorphic. Head shape ovoid (minor workers) or subrectangular with posterolateral lobes (majors), but never triangular. Antenna 12-segmented. Antennal club 3-segmented. Antennal insertions at least partly covered by frontal lobes; not surrounded by a raised sharp-edged ridge. Frontal lobes do not obscure face outline between mandible and eye; relatively close together so that the posteromedian portion of the clypeus, where it projects between the frontal lobes, is at most only slightly broader than one of the lobes. Posterolateral corners of head unarmed, without spines. Mandibles triangular. Mesosoma with erect hairs. Pronotal spines absent. Propodeum armed with spines or teeth. Slope of mesosoma steep. Waist 2-segmented. Petiole pedunculate with a distinct and upright node; lacking large subpetiolar process. Postpetiole attached to lower surface of gaster; not swollen; in dorsal view not distinctly broader than long or distinctly wider than petiole. Minor worker characters. Head ovoid; distinctly longer than wide; smooth and shining, lacking punctation. Antennal scrobe lacking. Antennal scapes extend beyond posterior margin of head. Posterior head margin weakly convex. Postpetiole not swollen relative to petiole. Lateral portions of petiole and postpetiole weakly sculptured to lacking sculpture. Color yellowish brown. Major worker characters. Head shape rectangular (HL > HW). Posterolateral lobes distinctly rugose. Antennal scrobe weakly to moderately impressed, but some depression capable of receiving antennal scapes clearly visible. Rugae above eye level moderately reticulated. Promesonotum in profile with two distinct convexities.
Minor workers of P. fervens are most easily distinguished from P. anastasii, P. bilimeki, P. flavens, P. moerens and P. punctatissima by the smooth and shining head. They are separated from those of P. megacephala by the postpetiole, which is not swollen in comparison to the petiole. The posterior head margin is weakly convex, compared to relatively flat in P. teneriffana and strongly convex in P. obscurithorax. They are further separated from P. obscurithorax by the weaker punctation on the lateral portions of the petiole and postpetiole, and also by the more yellowish color (versus blackish). Additionally, the head shape of P. fervens minors is more ovoid with the head distinctly longer than broad compared to the more subquadrate shape of P. teneriffana.
The rugose posterolateral lobes of P. fervens major workers separate them from P. megacephala (smooth and shining posterolateral lobes) and from P. anastasii, P. bilimeki and P. punctatissima (punctate posterolateral lobes). The presence of an antennal scrobe and the less densely packed rugoreticulum on the posterolateral lobes separate them from P. obscurithorax. They are separated from P. flavens and P. moerens by the sculptured (versus smooth) posterolateral portion of the cephalic dorsum sculptured (best observed in profile), and also by the presence of two convexities (versus one convexity) on the promesonotum in profile. The majors of P. fervens look similar to those of P. teneriffana, but can be distinguished by the more rectangular and narrow (versus square and broad) head shape.
Pheidole teneriffana
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Pheidole fervens at peanut butter bait (Suva, Fiji). Notice the bimorphic worker caster with large major workers and small minor workers.
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Anterior view of antennal scrobe, adult worker. Antennal scrobe present. Used to distinguish the major worker of Pheidole fervens, Pheidole flavens, Pheidole moerens and Pheidole teneriffana from that of Pheidole obscurithorax. The last species lacks any depression capable of receiving any portion of the antennae.
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Anterior view of head, adult worker. Posterolateral lobes with longitudinal carinae only occasionally being intersected by much shorter transverse carinae to form a patches of rugoreticulation. This character, combined with the presence of antennal scrobes, is used to separate the major worker of Pheidole fervens and Pheidole teneriffana from that of Pheidole obscurithorax (which has a much denser network of rugoreticulum).
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Anterior view of head, adult worker. The posterolateral lobes distinctly rugose and the lack of a punctate ground sculpture gives the head a shiny appearance. Used in Antkey to separate the major workers of Pheidole fervens, Pheidole flavens, Pheidole moerens, Pheidole obscurior and Pheidole teneriffana from those of all other Pheidole species.
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Authors: Sarnat and Suarez
Migrated to idtools.org August 2025
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