Formicinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Additional images: major worker, lateral view of head (reduced, original).
Range
Costa Rica to Guianas. Costa Rica: southern Pacific lowlands.
Identification
Minor worker: Propodeum with distinct pair of posteriorly projecting subtriangular teeth; dorsal face of propodeum subrectangular, longer than wide in dorsal view; propodeal spines widely spaced; first gastral tergite with very dilute pubescence, not obscuring integument; petiole subquadrate, not scale-like; dorsum of pronotum punctate; propodeal suture weakly impressed; propodeal spines relatively long and spiniform (shorter and more triangular in sanctaefidei).
Major worker: clypeus lacking pair of projecting lobes (present on sanctaefidei), propodeal spines distinct, spiniform (blunt tubercles on sanctaefidei).
Similar species: sanctaefidei.
Natural History
This tiny species inhabits highly insolated habitats. In Costa Rica I know it mainly from Corcovado National Park, where it seemed to be more common near the beach margin than further inland. I collected it five times in Corcovado, and all the collections were from the beach edge. Four of the collections were diurnal foragers (one on a Cissus inflorescence, one on a Simaba cedron inflorescence, others on low vegetation). One collection was a nest in the hollow stem of a small Salvia-like plant on one of the rock islands at Llorona. At Carara, near the headquarters building, I found a nest in a 7mm diameter dead stick in roadside vegetation.
Type Data
Notes
Literature Cited
Mayr, G. 1870. Formicidae novogranadenses. Sitzungsber. Kais. Akad. Wiss. Wien Math.-Naturwiss. Cl. Abt. I 61:370-417.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu
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