Myrmicinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Range
Costa Rica (Cordillera Volcanica Central).
Identification
There is only one species known from Costa Rica. The five described species differ in details of sculpture, pilosity, and development of propodeal spines (Fernandez 2001, Fernandez and Palacio 1999). Lenomyrmex JTL-001 shows a unique combination of traits that differentiates it from any of the described species. In the key by Fernandez (2001) it would uneasily key to L. wardi, but differs from that species in larger propodeal spines, reduced pilosity on the mesosomal dorsum, a more coarsely rugose mesosomal sculpture, and a shiny region with sparse foveae ventral to the eye.
Natural History
This rare species is now known from three specimens, all collected during the 2001 Project ALAS expeditions to the 1070m site on the Barva Transect. This is a mid-elevation site with mature wet forest. Each worker came from a different Winkler or Berlese sample of forest floor litter and soil.
Literature Cited
Fernandez C., F. 2001. Hormigas de Colombia. IX: Nueva especie de Lenomyrmex (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Revista Colombiana de Entomologia 27:201-204.
Fernandez, C. F., and G. E. E. Palacio. 1999. Lenomyrmex, an enigmatic new ant genus from the Neotropical region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Systematic Entomology 24:7-16.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
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