Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Identification
Mandibles with large apical tooth, smaller subapical tooth, and series of 7-10 denticles of more or less uniform size; mandibles shiny, with large piligerous punctures; mandibles subtriangular, with well-differentiated basal and masticatory margins; clypeus evenly convex; occipital carina visible in face view; propodeal suture deeply impressed; propodeum swollen, evenly convex, with no trace of tubercles, no differentiation of dorsal and posterior faces; ventral margin of postpetiole flat; color shiny black; HW 0.71; HL 0.86, SL 1.07; WL 1.32 (n=1).
Range
Costa Rica. Turrialba (type locality), Penas Blancas, Pitilla.
Natural History
The types, collected by W. L. Brown Jr., were found associated with workers of an unidentified Apterostigma (reported in Brandao 1990). I report here a second occurrence of the species associated with another attine, Cyphomyrmex cornutus. Several other species of Megalomyrmex, including miri, silvestrii, and symmetochus, appear to be specialized associates of small attines (Wheeler 1925, Kempf and Brown 1968, Brandao 1990).
Selected Records:
Longino #3651: Pitilla. Scott Shaw pointed out to me a nest of Cyphomyrmex cornutus. It was a typical nest of accreted soil about half meter above the ground. I noticed a number of Megalomyrmex workers moving on the surface, and entering through a hole. Dissection of the nest revealed a populous nest of Megalomyrmex, with brood and alate queens and males, in the center of the Cyphomyrmex next. The Megalomyrmex nest was completely surrounded by active portions of the Cyphomyrmex nest. On disturbance, there were occasional aggressive interactions between Cyphomyrmex and Megalomyrmex. There had been none (no aggressive interactions) prior to opening the nest.
Longino #1584: Penas Blancas. Night collecting along clearing edge in wet forest. Workers on log.
Literature Cited
Brandao, C. R. F. 1990. Systematic revision of the Neotropical ant genus Megalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with the description of thirteen new species. Arquivos de Zoologia (Sao Paulo) 31:411-481.
Kempf, W. W., Brown, W. L., Jr. 1968. Report on some Neotropical ant studies. Papeis Avulsos Zool. 22:89-102.
Wheeler, W. M. 1925. A new guest-ant and other new Formicidae from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Biol. Bull. Mar. Biol. Lab., Woods Hole 49:150-181.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
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