Pheidole fervida

Japanese Name

Azuma-oozu-ari

Smith, F. (1874) Descriptions of new species of Tenthredinidae, Ichneumonidae, Chrysididae, Formicidae, &c. of Japan. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London (4) 7: 373-409.

Total length of body around 3.5 mm in soldiers, around 2.5 mm in workers. Body color yellowish brown to reddish brown, gaster sometimes darker. In soldiers: gular dentition with 3 median projections; antennal scapes reaching back 2/3 the length of the head; pronotum and mesonotum usually separately raised, the mesonotal convexity variable. In workers: posterior portion of head flat and sculptured; antennal scapes exceeding posterior corners of head; mesonotum more or less raised; remaining features as given for soldier.

The gular dentition of the soldiers and the shape of the posterior part of the head in workers of P. fervida are similar to those of P. ryukyuensis and P. pieli. P. ryukyuensis resembles P. fervida in coloration, but P. fervida can be distinguished from it by the relative length of the antennal scapes in the soldiers and the shape of the mesosoma in the workers. The distributions of these two species are not known to overlap: P. fervida is found on Yaku Island and northwards, while P. ryukyuensis is found in the Yaeyama Islands. P. fervida is distinguishable from P. pieli by the shape of its mesonotum. This is a temperate-climate species, found at low elevations in northern regions and mountainous areas in the southern part of Japan. Nests in rotting wood or under stones on the forest floor. Okuno (1959) reported on foraging and worker recruitment patterns, and Ono (1984) and Ito & Higashi (1990) studied soldier production. According to their researches the presence of hostile ants bears no relation to soldier production.

Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Yaku I.; Korean Peninsula.