Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
|
|
|
|
|
|
Identification
Minor worker: head length 0.73mm, head width 0.64mm, scape length 0.82mm, Webers length 0.90mm (n=1). In full face view, posterior margin of vertex broadly rounded to slightly flattened or emarginate; no vertex collar; promesonotal and metanotal grooves well impressed; propodeal spines short; face smooth and shiny; pronotum largely smooth and shiny, with band of puncta anteriorly and ventrolaterally; mesonotum smooth and shiny dorsally, foveolate on sides, puncta fading on upper half of anepisternum; propodeum foveolate dorsally and on sides; gaster smooth and shiny; dorsal pilosity moderately abundant, long, flexuous; color dark brown.
Major worker: head length 1.27mm, head width 1.18mm, scape length 0.80mm (n=1). Face shiny throughout; anterior half of face, lateral to frontal carinae, reticulate rugose, remainder of face smooth; hypostomal margin with pair of widely-spaced teeth, teeth long and sharp, located near small recessed teeth flanking mandible; dorsal setae abundant, flexuous; abundant suberect setae projecting from sides of head in face view.
Range
Costa Rica: Santa Rosa, La Pacifica.
Natural History
This species is known mainly by recruitment to baits. Collections have been made at Finca La Pacifica, the headquarters area of Santa Rosa National Park, and the Murcielago campground in Santa Rosa National Park.
Comments
Species that have similar morphometric profiles include dentata, madrensis, cordiceps, nitidula, pampana, and quiaccana. All of these have the side of the pronotum smooth and shining (according to illustrations of Wilson). JTL-005 has the side of the pronotum partially foveate. Pheidole dentata has an enlarged postpetiole (minor PPI 166 vs. 129). Pheidole cordiceps is described as being medium yellow.
JTL note, 12 April 2008: New collections from Guanacaste led me to combine morphospecies JTL-006 and JTL-005. The following were the notes on the JTL-006 page, which now apply to JTL-005. The combination of morphometric profile and sculpture place this species near obscurior and aenescens. The major of obscurior has more extensive foveate sculpture on the face, the pilosity on the sides of the head is more abundant and more decumbent, and the scapes are thinner at the base. The major scape bases are somewhat thickened and flattened on JTL-005. The major of P. aenescens has rugose sculpture that extends further posteriorly on the face, but otherwise it is very similar. Pheidole aenescens is from near Belem, Brazil. Morphometrically JTL-005 is also close to lupus, from Peru, but lupus has very distinctive flattened scapes in minor and major worker.
Page authors:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
Stefan Cover, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138 USA. scover@oeb.harvard.edu
Go back to top