Pheidole noggii ( sic! ) var. zoceana Santschi, 1925: 83 Pheidole zoceana Santschi. Eguchi, Yamane & Zhou, 2007: 280–283 A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) Eguchi, Katsuyuki Zootaxa 2008 2008-10-15 1902 1 1 118 Santschi Santschi. The 1925 [151,475,431,457] Insecta Formicidae Pheidole Animalia Hymenoptera 109 110 Arthropoda species zoceana   Figs. 31a–g    Pheidole noggii ( sic!) var. zoceana Santschi, 1925: 83. Bui & Eguchi 2003: 9(checklist).  Syntypes: 3 majors & 7 minors, “Chine, Zo-ce, V. Piel, 19.7.24” [ China], NHMB, examined.     Pheidole zoceanaSantschi. Eguchi, Yamane & Zhou, 2007: 280–283(raised to species, redescription of major & minor).   Other material examined:  Vietnam: Lai Chau: Westernslope of Mt. Fansipan, ca.  2100–2200 malt. [Eg02-VN-322];  Lao Cai: Cat Cat(along a trail to Mt. Fansipan), ca.  1300–1400 malt., Sa Pa [Eg02-VN-258, -262, -263, -266], Sa Seng (small fragment of limestone forest), Sa Pa [Eg02-VN-277];  Nghe An: Pu Hoat [ T.V. Bui].  Thailand: Chiang Mai: Doi Suthep-Pui N.P., ca.  800–900 malt. [Eg01-TH-099, -101]. Eguchi’s informal species code “  Pheidolesp.eg-159” and “sp. eg-164” have been applied to these specimens.   Worker measurements & indices:Major (n=4). — HL 1.09–1.20 mm; HW 0.93–1.12 mm; CI 85–93; SL 0.44–0.53 mm; SI 47–49; FL 0.65–0.67 mm; FI 59–70. Minor (n=4). — HL 0.44–0.52 mm; HW 0.38–0.46 mm; CI 86–91; SL 0.41–0.46 mm; SI 97–108; FL 0.44–0.50 mm; FI 105–116.  Worker description Major. — Head in lateral view not or weakly impressed on vertex; frons longitudinally rugose; anterior part of vertex longitudinally rugose or reticulate; posterior part of vertex and dorsal and dorsolateral faces of vertexal lobe reticulate; frontal carina absent or inconspicuous (present just as rugulae); antennal scrobe absent; median longitudinal carina of clypeus absent, or present but weak; submedian and lateral processes of hypostoma conspicuous; median process relatively developed but lower than submedian processes; outer surface of mandible (excluding area around the base) smooth or dimly rugose, sparsely bearing (very) short appressed hairs; antenna with a 3-segmented club; maximal diameter of eye longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome in lateral view at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; humerus of the dome weakly produced laterad; the dome at the humeri a little broader than or almost as broad as at the bottom. Petiole much longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive. First gastral tergite smooth and shining except punctured area around its articulation with postpetiole, or rugoso-punctrued largely. Minor. — Dorsum of head punctured, and often overlain by weak rugoso-reticulation; preoccipital carina inconspicuous or absent dorsally; median part of clypeus smooth or weakly rugoso-reticulate; median longitudinal carina very weak to weak, or absent; antenna with a 3-segmented club; scape usually exceeding posterior margin of head by the half length of antennal segment II or more; maximal diameter of eye almost as long as antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome in lateral view at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; mediodorsal part of the dome variable in sculpture, dimly punctured to smooth sometimes with several rugulae, or rugoso-reticulate but never punctured densely; lateral face of the dome largely smooth; humeral area of the dome rugoso-reticulate or rugoso-punctate, in dorso-oblique view not or weakly produced; mesopleuron, metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum punctured, or sometimes smooth partly; propodeal spine elongate-triangular. Petiole much longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive.   FIGURE 31a–d,  Pheidole zoceana, major [Eg02-VN-263] — a, head in full-face view; b, head in lateral view; c, mesosoma and waist in dorsal view; d, mesosoma and waist in lateral view.   FIGURE 31e–g,  Pheidole zoceana, minor [Eg02-VN-263] — e, head in full-face view; f, mesosoma and waist in dorsal view; g, mesosoma and waist in lateral view.  Recognition:This species is distinguished among Indo-Chinese species by the combination of the following characteristics: in the major frontal carina absent or inconspicuous (present just as rugulae); in the major median and submedian processes of hypostoma conspicuous; in the major and minor promesonotal dome in lateral view at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; in the minor dorsum of head punctured; in the minor lateral face of promesonotal dome largely smooth; in the minor propodeal spine elongatetriangular.   FIGURE 32,Lectotypes (a, c, e, g) designated in the present paper and their labels (b, d, f, h) — a, b,  Pheidole dugasiForel(arrows indicating the lectotype); c, d, “  Pheidole rhombinoda stellaForel”(arrow indicating the lectotype); e, f, “  Pheidole peguensis yomensisForel”; g, h, “  Pheidole sulcaticeps yeensisForel”. The major of  P. zoceanais morphologically very similar to that of  P. parvaMayrand  P. raboForel, but the minor of the former is distinguished from that of the latter two in which promesonotal dome is punctured entirely.   Distribution & bionomics:Known from Vietnam, Chinaand Thailand. This species occurs along forest edges in hilly and mountainous areas, and nests in the soil. NHMB V. Piel China China 109 110 1 syntype Vietnam 2150 Mt. Fansipan Western 109 110 1 Lai Chau Vietnam 1350 Mt. Fansipan Cat Cat 109 110 1 Lao Cai T. V. Bui Vietnam Nghe An 109 110 1 Nghe An Doi Suthep-Pui N. P. Thailand 850 Chiang Mai 109 110 1 Chiang Mai