Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Additional images: queen (La Selva), face view (small, large); lateral view (small, large); queen (500m on Barva transect), face view (small, large); lateral view (small, large); queen (Monteverde), face view (small, large); lateral view (small, large); mandible (large).
Range
Costa Rica: Atlantic slope, from sea level to montane forest at 1600m.
Identification
Usually bicolored, with light-colored head and mesosoma, darker gaster (bicolored condition more conspicuous in field than on museum specimens); clypeal carinae moderately diverging, projecting to form short anterior teeth; mandible with four teeth, basal tooth well developed so that mandible has differentiated masticatory and basal margins; promesonotum and dorsal face of propodeum more or less in same plane, metanotal groove a narrow notch.
Natural History
This species is most abundant in montane forest habitats. It occurs mainly in the canopy under epiphyte mats. Colonies are large and diffuse, with clusters of workers, brood, and dealate queens occurring throughout entire trees. Alate queens and males may occur in nests and recently dispersed queens can be found in the canopy.
In Monteverde this is an extremely common species and seems to practically blanket the cloud forest canopy. It is similarly abundant on the Barva transect in Braulio Carrillo National Park at the 1100m and 1500m sites, which are cloud forest like Monteverde. It is moderately common at the 500m site and is an uncommon species at La Selva Biological Station at 50m. Thus its range extends to the lowlands even though it is much less abundant there.
Comments
The queens of this species vary in head shape and size (figure). Queens from Monteverde are relatively large and the head is relatively long and narrow. Queens from 500m on the Barva transect are intermediate in size and the head is relatively shorter and broader. Queens from La Selva are the smallest and length/width proportions are more like Monteverde.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu
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