Formicinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Range
Costa Rica, Colombia. Costa Rica: Monteverde, La Selva Biological Station, Barva transect to 1100m, Corcovado.
Identification
Face smooth, with short erect setae; scapes surpass vertex margin by length of first funicular segment; pronotum and mesonotum with dorsal setae; first gastral tergite with erect setae, abundant appressed pubescence; metanotal groove weakly impressed; color dirty yellow.
Natural History
This species occurs in wet forest habitats, from sea level to 1500m cloud forest. It occurs in both the canopy and on the ground. I have found nests under epiphytes, under dead wood on the ground, and in a cavity in a fern rhizome near the ground. Workers occur frequently in Winkler samples of sifted leaf litter and soil, both from the ground and from epiphytic material from the canopy. Nests are populous and there appears to be a distinct replete caste. A subset of workers have grossly distended gasters filled with clear liquid. One nest I observed contained at least two dealate queens, suggesting polygyny.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu
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