Dolichoderinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Additional images:
Holotype queen, face and lateral views (above images), mandible (small, large), petiole, lateral view (small, large), tibia (small, large).
Range
Costa Rica: Cordillera de Tilar‡n.
Identification
A member of the A. aurita group.
Queen
Measurements (n=1): HLA 0.86, HLB 0.91, HW 0.64, SL 0.58, EL 0.22, OC 0.04, MTSC 6 (very fine, short).
Palpal formula 4,3; middle and hind tibia lacking apical spur; dorsal surface of mandible smooth and shiny, pubescent; medial clypeal lobe strongly convex and protruding, extending well beyond lateral clypeal lobes; head subrectangular, somewhat swollen between ocellar region and compound eye, posterior margin a smoothly rounded excavation; petiolar node bluntly triangular; posteroventral petiolar lobe very low, very shallowly convex, ending posteriorly in a somewhat abrupt shelf, rising steeply to tergosternal suture, leaving small posterior rim on sternite; entire body covered with uniform vestiture of sparse, white, suberect pubescence; scape, all margins of head, legs, petiole, and first gastral tergum with evenly distributed short, white, erect setae emerging above pubescence, similar but sparser setae on mesosomal dorsum; body dark brown becoming lighter brown on mandibles, legs; body with smooth, highly polished and reflective surface.
Natural History
The locality for the single known specimen is Costa Rica, Prov. Guanacaste, Estacion Maritza, Guanacaste Conservation Area, 10¡58'N, 85¡30'W, 600m, 23 Feb 2003. The single specimen was collected in tropical moist forest. John Noyes collected the specimen using a screened sweep net.
Comments
This is by far the smallest queen known in the genus Azteca. The color and narrow head clearly ally it with A. lanuginosa and A. schimperi.
See additional discussion of A. aurita group.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
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