A revision of Pheidole Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the islands of the Southwest Indian Ocean and designation of a neotype for the invasive Pheidole megacephala

Abstract

The myrmicine genus Pheidole Westwood is revised for the smaller islands of the Southwest Indian Ocean: Comoros, Juan de Nova Island, Mauritius, Mayotte, Réunion, and the Seychelles. Descriptions and keys are provided for the thirteen species on these islands of which seven are newly described: P decepticon sp. n., P dodo sp. n., P komori sp. n, P loki sp. n., P. megatron sp. n., P ragnax sp. n., P. vulcan sp. n.; and six were previously described: P braueri Forel, P fervens Smith, F., P. jonas Forel, P megacephala (Fabricius), P parva Forel, and P teneriffana Forel. New synonymies (with the senior synonym listed first) include P. parva Mayr = P flavens var. farquharensis Forel, P parva Mayr = P. tarda Donisthorpe, P megacephala (Fabricius) = P. picata Forel, P megacephala (Fabricius) = P punctulata r. gietleni Forel, 1905, P megacephala (Fabricius) = P. picata var. bernhardae Emery, 1915, P megacephala (Fabricius) = P. megacephala r. scabrior Forel, and P teneriffana Forel = P voeltzkowii Forel. Furthermore, lectotypes are designated from the syntypes of P braueri, P fervens, P. jonas, P. parva, and P teneriffana in order to provide a single name-bearing specimen and to facilitate future taxonomic studies. Finally, a neotype is provided for the untraceable or possibly lost type of the cosmopolitan and invasive P megacephala, which was originally described by Fabricius from Mauritius (the former 'Ile de France'). © 2013 Magnolia Press.