Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Identification
Minor worker: head length 0.85mm, head width 0.78mm, scape length 0.89mm, Webers length 1.13mm (n=1). Entire head and mesosoma regularly costate, much like the sculpture of many Gnamptogenys species; mesonotal suture moderately impressed, metanotal groove deeply impressed; propodeal spines of moderate length, upturned; gastral dorsum smooth and shiny; dorsal pilosity abundant, long, flexuous; color red.
Major worker: head length 2.33mm, head width 2.22mm, scape length 0.97mm (n=1). Face densely vermiculate rugose foveolate throughout; hypostomal margin flat, in the form of a broad shelf perpendicular to the underside of head, with no medial teeth, only small teeth flanking inner mandible bases; dorsal pilosity abundant; head with abundant short erect setae projecting from sides in face view.
Range
Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama. Costa Rica: Atlantic slope.
Natural History
Occurs in mature wet forest; forages nocturnally.
Selected Records
Penas Blancas Valley: mature wet forest at night; minors and majors scattered on a branch on the ground in an old branchfall. No nest was found. Workers were showing great interest in small cocoon-like objects stuck to the underside of the branch. The workers were clustering around them as if they were brood.
Penas Blancas Valley: nocturnal foragers on ground.
La Selva.
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
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