Pheidole is the second largest genus of ants in the world with 898 species and subspecies with an additional 3 species known from fossil records. They are found world wide. About 53 species and subspecies are known from Australia and these can be found throughout the continent in all habitats (see map).
Pheidole is most similar to Aphaenogaster and Pheidologeton. They can be separated from Aphaenogaster by the 3 segmented (Fig.
While Pheidole workers are well known for harvesting seeds, they are also general predators and will take a wide range of food items, such as this terrestrial amphipod (photo by Steve Shattuck).
Fowler, H. "The nest of Pheidole oxyops as a pitfall-trap (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Pedobiologia 30: 373-376.
Pheidole pallidula shows a double caste determination: the autogenetic determination which separates queen and worker castes is succeeded by the larval trophogenic determination which is also at the origin of the soldiers.
Pheidole tethepa Wilson, E. "Between-caste aversion as a basis for division of labor in the antPheidole pubiventris (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Behav.
However, in the cases of previous [1, 2] and present reports, which the ants of the genusPheidole were suspected as the cause of alopecia, bite or obvious inflammation of the skin is not evident and mild erythema and signs of scratching is seen only in few patients [1, 2].
Pheidole is the second largest genus of ants in the world with more than 900 species and subspecies.
Ogata K.Toxonomy and biology of the genusPheidole of Japan.Nature and Insects 1981 ;16:17-22.
Ono, S. A preliminary study of the effect of the existence of competitor on the soldier production in the ant, Pheidole fervida Smith (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).
Tests of four hypotheses on soldier production, by using wild colonies of Pheidole fervida F. Smith (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).
[1, 2, 3] The Pheidolespecies are believed to be lipophilic and therefore may be attracted to relatively greasy scalps.[4] From May 12, 1998, to January 18, 1999, a total of 16 cases were referred to the dermatology center of Ahwas University from two different cities in that province.
We report two cases of Pheidoleant infestation with scalp hair shedding in a young man and in an adult woman from Kerman, a province of Iran.
Pheidolespecies consists of big-headed ants with two nodal spines on the thorax.
This document is a preliminary and exploratory proposal for investigating the populations of the tramp antPheidole megacephala, a destructive pest endangering the ecosystem on Kure Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
While the major activity of the expedition is radio science, the team will devote a portion of its effort to supporting the work of the naturalists on Kure, and participating in collaborative studies such as that described in the present proposal.
It is proposed to test the response of Pheidole megacephala to destruction of habitat, particularly destruction of flora that support the scale.
The Ants of Africa(Site not responding. Last check: )
The photographs (labelled as Pheidole caffra) were taken by Brian Fisher as part of the VCA project at the California Academy of Sciences.
The specimens from Nigeria that I labelled as Pheidolespecies T² may be this as they do appear to have a differently shaped postpetiole and are larger than caffra.
The strongly diverging frontal carinae are protruding to the hind third of the head, and spare a groove for the scapus [scrobe], that reaches the hind third of the head as well.
My labmate Amy Mertl has been working on her own project on the Pheidole of Tiputini.
Although all the species from my site and her site were collected at Tiputini, they were collected in separate projects, at different times, using different collection methods.
If you are looking for information on Neotropical Pheidole, her webpage is an excellent resource.
Background document for the threat abatement plan to reduce the impacts of tramp ants on biodiversity in Australia and its territories, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra.
Hoffmann, B. The Big-headed antPheidole megacephala: a new threat to monsoonal northwestern Australia.
Zerhusen, D., Rashid, M. Control of the Big-headed antPheidole megacephala, Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with the fire ant bait 'Amdro' and its secondary effect on the population of the African weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda Latrielle (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
Species of the genus Pheidole are the most abundant and diverse ants of the New World and range from the northern United States to Argentina.
In this richly illustrated book, Edward O. Wilson untangles its classification for the first time, characterizing all 625 known species, 341 of which are new to science, and ordering them into 19 species groups.
In presenting all of Pheidole, the book covers one-fifth of the known ant species of the Western Hemisphere, including many of the commonest forms.
