Major face, Rara Avis
Major face, Penas Blancas
Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Range
Costa Rica: mid-elevation Atlantic slope.
Identification
With same characters as P. indagatrix, but major worker larger and with more extensive area of posterior face smooth and shiny. In a sample of 8 indagatrix majors from separate colonies, the greatest head length was 1.35mm. The head lengths of two majors of this morphospecies were 1.53mm and 1.70mm. Also the color is lighter brown than most indagatrix majors. Minor workers tend to have the nuchal collar thinner relative to indagatrix, but I cannot reliably differentiate minors of the two species.
Similar species: indagatrix.
Natural History
This species is known from wet forest sites on the Atlantic slope of the Cordillera de Tilaran and the Cordillera Volcanica Central, from 700-1100m elevation. Two collections have been from baits on the forest floor (one at the edge of a stream). Minor workers tentatively identified as this species were collected in Project ALAS sweep samples from the 1070m site.
Comments
This species occurs in a narrow elevational band. Although very similar to indagatrix, it appears to be distinct because it occurs sympatrically with typical indagatrix. I cannot reliably distinguish minor workers of indagatrix, JTL-153, and JTL-154.
Literature Cited
Kempf, W. W. 1972. Catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical. Studia Entomologica 15:3-344.
Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Ant Genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
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