Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Images available: Worker: face view (original jpeg) (original line drawing); mesosoma, lateral view (original jpeg) (original line drawing). Queen: face view (original jpeg) (reduced jpeg) (original line drawing) (reduced line drawing); head, lateral view (original jpeg) (original line drawing) (reduced line drawing); mandible (original line drawing) (reduced line drawing); propodeum (original line drawing) (reduced line drawing); petiole (original jpeg) (original line drawing) (reduced line drawing).
Identification
Nests in live stems of Cordia alliodora.
Queen: head subrectangular, head length greater than or equal to 1.3 times head width; head width 0.94-0.98mm (n=2); color black; mandible always with row of piligerous puncta along masticatory margin, but large puncta sparse to absent on mandible surface proximal to this row, and with at most four puncta bearing setae; head strongly rectangular, with flat sides and lateral margin of vertex relatively sharp; head length greater than 0.275 + 1.3(head width); petiolar node low, anterior face of petiole flat; propodeum with sparse short setae concentrated posterior to spiracle; mandible lacking large puncta proximal to masticatory margin.
Worker: promesonotum with sparse pilosity; setae present on propodeum; head width of largest workers up to 1.18mm (n=4); color uniform red brown.
Range
Costa Rica (northern Pacific slope).
Natural History
This species is known only from between 400-500m on the road to Monteverde, from six different Cordia alliodora trees. It has been collected in two different clusters of trees along the road, and is sympatric with A. beltii, A. longiceps, and two forms of the A. pittieri complex.
Literature Cited
Longino, J. T. 1996. Taxonomic characterization of some live-stem inhabiting Azteca (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Costa Rica, with special reference to the ants of Cordia (Boraginaceae) and Triplaris (Polygonaceae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 5:131-156.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
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