Pheidole radoszkowskii var. luteola, Forel, A., 1893

Forel, A., 1893, Formicides de l'Antille St. Vincent. Récoltées par Mons. H. H. Smith., Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1893, pp. 333-418 : 406-408

Var. luteola , n. var.

Comme le type, mais le [[ soldier ]] est entierement d'un jaune testace, a peine un peu roussatre sur la tete, avec la moitie posterieure de l'abdomen d'un jaune brunatre ou d'un brun jaunatre. Les epines du metanotum sont un peu plus courtes, un peu courbees et plus pointues. Le 2 me n oe ud du pedicule un peu plus etroit. L'occiput est assez luisant derriere, l'abdomen et le pedicule par contre sont plus mats. L'ouvriere differe du type par les memes caracteres, sauf la sculpture; la difference de couleur est encore plus forte (le type est d'un brun assez fonce, la var. luteola d'un jaune assez clair, avec le thorax et la tete d'un jaune un peu roussatre).

[[ queen ]] (encore inedite). L. 5, 2 a 6 mill. Tete tres elargie et legere- ment concave derriere. Scapes legerement epaissis a leur base et a leur extremite (ou legerement, niais distinctement' attenues au milieu). Mandibules denticulees a leur bord terminal, entre les deux dents de devant et celle de derriere. Pronotum large devant, un peu plus large que la tete, avec le bord anterieur et surtout les coins anterieurs bordes et surplombants. Le metanotum a deux larges epines triangulaires et obtuses qui se prolongent en aretes bordant lateralement les deux faces du metanotum. Second n oe ud du pedicule au moins deux fois plus large que long.

Thorax et abdomen assez eleves; ce dernier tronque devant, mais nullement deprime. Dos du mesonotum et abdomen lisses et luisants. Metanotum ride en travers. D'un roux jaunatre, avec les pattes et le bord posterieur des segments abdominaux d'un jaune clair; les § posterieurs de l'abdomen du reste brunatres. Ailes teintees de jaune brunatre, avec les norvures et la tache marginale d'un brun pale. Du reste comme le soldat, eu particulier la pilosite et la sculpture.

[[ male ]] (inedit). L. 4 a 4, 4 mill. Mandibules triangulaires, tridentees. Metanotum arrondi, avec doux tubercules faiblement marques et ses deux faces subegales. Tete reticulee-ponctuee et mate. Mesonotum assez lisse en dessus. Metanotum ride en long. Abdomen etroit et allonge. Pilosite dressee mediocrement abondante sur la tete, le metanotum et le pedicule. Antennes et paltos sans poils dresses. Pubescence comme chez le soldat. D'un jaune pale, testace; une tache brune autour des ocelles; deux raies brunes longitudinales sur le mesonotum. Ailes comme chez la [[ queen ]].

(22). A common species in open places, from 8000 ft. to sea-level. The formicarium is often quite large, with two or three thousand ants. Commonly it is under a stone or log on dry and more or less open ground; immediately beneath the stone is a branching chamber. From this passages, 1 / 3 - 1 / 2 in. broad, extend down irregularly several inches, with small chambers (1 - 1 1 / 2 in. long and an inch wide), in which larvas and sometimes females are found. The passages and chambers are smoothly worked. The workers major are sluggish, and keep to the inner chambers; the workers minor are quite active, and may often be found in the daytime prowling about bushes. These ants are not pugnacious, even when the nest is disturbed. The workers major are much less numerous than the workers minor, perhaps one-fifth of the whole colony. Occasionally the nest is made in rotten wood, or under rubbish.

(22 a). Near Barronallie (leeward), September, 500 ft. Open place, under chips, & c. Formicarium not noted.

(22 b). Scrubby growth near the top of the Soufriere Volcano, 2500 ft. September. Beaten from bushes. Others along the edge of the crater to 3000 ft. January. Under moss and stones. I could find no nests.

(( 22 a). Near Palmyra Estate (leeward), 1000 ft.; open field under a stone. A large colony. Nov. 3 rd.

(22 d). Fitz-Hugh Valley (leeward), 500 ft.; open hillside. Nov. 4 th. The formicarium was partly under a stone, with passages among the roots of grass. Colony quite large. Only one female found after careful search. (N. B. - I believe the colonies of this species have only one fertile female, though several winged ones may be found).

(22 e). Near Fort Charlotte, Kingstown; scrubby growth, 500 ft. Oct. 25 th. Pretty large colony, under a stone. I could find no female.

(22 f). Richmond Estate; open valley (leeward), near sea-level. A large colony in rotten wood. I could find no female. Oct. 31 st.

(22 g). Seashore thickets, Wallibou (leeward). Small colony under a stone. Some of the workers minor brushed from bushes. Oct. 8 th.

(22 h). Seashore, Villa Estate, southern end of the island. A small nest under a block of coral. Oct. 14 th.

(22 i). Hermitage Estate, Cumberland Valley, 1000 ft.; damp open hill-sides; under logs or sod. From several nests. Males were not found in the same nests with winged females. Some nests had forty or fifty males, and others as many winged females. As these ants make pretty extensive passages, it is possible that such nests were parts of the same formicarium; but I do not think so. All the nests' were as described above.. Dec. 2 nd.

(22 j). Western slope of Morne a Garou, 800 ft. Dec. 9 th. Open place near stream; under sod on a rock. A female. The only workers near were of No. 35.