Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Additional images: worker petiole, lateral view (large); clypeus (large); base of mandible, showing weak to effaced sulcus (large); third abdominal tergite, dorsal view (large).
Range
Costa Rica: Atlantic slope, to 1700m in Cordillera de Talamanca, 2000m in Cordillera Volcanica Central, 1600m in Cordillera de Tilaran.
Identification
Mesosomal dorsum setose; no carina between mandible and eye; orifice of propodeal spiracle circular, not slit-shaped (note that other species may have a circular boss around the spiracular orifice, but orifice itself is slit-shaped); clypeus truncate anteriorly; color red brown; ventral margin of petiole with flat, horizontal flange projecting posteriorly to near posterior margin of petiole; petiole in lateral view tapering dorsally; mandibles striate, basal sulcus faint to absent; sides of head and hind tibia often with sparse short erect setae; head width 1.07-1.23mm; scape index (scape length/head width) 0.85-0.92.
Similar species: panamensis, JTL-014, JTL-016, JTL-017, JTL-018.
Natural History
This is a poorly known species that inhabits forest floor leaf litter in rainforest and cloud forest. Workers and dealate queens are taken in Winkler samples of sifted litter from the forest floor. At Estacion Biologica Pittier in the Cordillera de Talamanca I collected a dealate queen under a stone.
On the Barva transect in Braulio Carrillo National Park this is one of the few relatively common species at 2000m elevation. This site has a very low density of ants in general, but this species occurred in 7% of 250 miniWinkler samples (litter sifted from 1 square meter plots). Its peak abundance was at 1500m, where it occurred in 19% of Winkler samples. It did not occur at lower elevations.
Comments
See additional observations on ferruginea complex under panamensis.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu
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