Pheidole megacephala

Smith, F., 1861, Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the Islands of Ceram, Celebes, Ternate, and Gilolo., Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 6, pp. 36-48 : 49

1. Pheidole megacephala

, Smith, Proc. Linn. Soc. Supp. v. 112. 5.

Mr. Wallace has sent a series of workers of this species collected from the nest. These contain, as it were, three modifications of the enormously large-headed individuals; all of these have heads similar in form, subquadrate, longitudinally striated anteriorly, and transversely so behind; these I should call varieties of the worker major; the worker minor has the head subovate in form, smooth, polished and shining; not striated behind, and very faintly so anteriorly. The links which would unite these two distinct forms of the working ants are wanting. I am therefore still of opinion that societies of ants generally possess two distinct sets of workers whose functions are totally different; this is known to be the case in slave-making communities, and also in the remarkable genus Eciton , of which only the workers are known.