Moved from Pheidole.

A common species from southern KS to northern MEX, east to the Carolinas and Florida. This is the largest native eastern US Pheidole (though it is exceeded considerably by the introduced P. obscurithorax).

This is what I call the grassland variant. Samples from shady sites are smaller, darker and have fewer majors in the colonies. (Maybe two species?)

Moved from Ants.

No big headed major worker was present here. Indeed, they are only a minority even in most populous colonies. Fire ants are not so slender and leggy, and lack the famous propodeal spines.
I wish I had such a good material to take such excellent pics of European Ants£