Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Range
Honduras to Panama, Ecuador. Costa Rica: abundant in the lowlands of the Pacific side, south of Puntarenas, rare elsewhere. Range map (Central America).
Diagnosis
Face to margin of vertex with regular honeycomb-like clathrate sculpture. HW 0.88-0.99mm (mean=0.93, n=12). Promesonotum coarsely foveate anteriorly, becoming reticulate rugose on mesonotum (in contrast to hirsutus, in which pronotum is reticulate-rugose, mesonotum is longitudinally rugose; figure). On some Panamanian specimens the posterior half of the mesonotum tends to longitudinal rugae, thus approaching hirsutus; otherwise they are very similar to Costa Rican belti. Outer surface of metatibia granular, with a few very faint rugae (coarsely rugose in hirsutus). AT4 densely and finely punctate throughout.
Additional Description
Head subtriangular in outline, margin of vertex roughly straight. Clypeus at level of antennal insertions abruptly bent ventrad. Lateral clypeus more or less flat, meeting anterior torulus at right angle, such that torulus is exposed anteriorly and does not appear recessed. Clypeus with prominent median carina, very faint longitudinal striae laterally. Frontal carina extends obliquely across torulus and joins lateral clypeal carina. Genae with closely-spaced foveae. Genal bridge longitudinally striate. Mandible granular, subopaque, with weak longitudinal striae. In anterior view, eyes asymmetrically convex, skewed ventrad. Scape flattened, lateral margin thick distally, fading and narrowing proximally, leaving narrow region before basal flange. Broad flat surface of scape finely areolate, outer lateral margin with coarse rugae. Margin of vertex angulate but smooth, not crest-like or crenate. Vertex largely smooth and shiny, with a few faint striae radiating from occipital carina.
In lateral view, mesonotum convex and curving evenly into pronotum. In dorsal view, lateral lobes of mesonotum obsolete, visible at other angles as short, obtuse teeth. Propodeal suture a broad, shallow trough. Anterolateral propodeal lobes indistinct, small obtuse teeth a short distance posterior to anterolateral margin. Irregular parallel longitudinal striae on propodeal dorsum, approximately 10 striae across at level of lateral lobes. Posterior face of prodeum perpendicular to dorsal face, posterior face flat. Posterior face of propodeum completely smooth and shining. Parallel longitudinal striae cover lateral pronotum, anepisternum, katepisternum, and lateral propodeum. Approximately 6 irregular striae on lateral pronotum, grading into foveae dorsally, and 1-2 on anepisternum, of similar size to those on pronotum. Approximately 8 striae extend unbroken across katepisternum and lateral propodeum, these contrastingly smaller. Posterior surface of forefemur entirely smooth and shining.
Ventral margin of petiole weakly concave, ending anteriorly in very small, obtuse tooth. Anterodorsal face of petiole smooth and shiny. Posterodorsal face coarsely foveate-rugose. Postpetiole with flat anterodorsal face, short sloping posterior face. Ventral margin of postpetiole short, with a prominent, acute anterior tooth. Dorsum of postpetiole coarsely foveate-rugose.
AS4 densely and finely punctate laterally and anteriorly, punctation fainter on disc. AT5 with faint, dense, granular sculpture.
More than 100 short stiff setae distributed uniformly on disc of face. Abundant stiff setae on mesosomal dorsum (more than 20 on central area of promesonotum, not including those on lateral margins), longer than those on face. Setae on petiole and postpetiole abundant, longer than those on mesosomal dorsum. AT4 with abundant stiff setae, those near postpetiolar insertion relatively longer and suberect, grading to relatively shorter and subdecument posteriorly.
Color shining black, with legs and antennae contrastingly light orange-brown.
Worker measurements (n=1 Costa Rican specimen): HW 0.99, HL 0.98, SL 0.64, EL 0.28, MeL 1.17, MeW 0.69, PrW 0.48, PrL 0.24, PrS 0.24, PrT 0.48, MTL 0.63, PtL 0.33, PtW 0.30, PpW 0.42, PtH 0.32, AL 1.18, AW 1.03.
Images
Worker: lateral view (reduced, original); face view (reduced, original); mesosoma, dorsal view (reduced, original); gaster, dorsal view (reduced, original).
SEM images of worker: face (reduced, original); torulus (reduced, original); gaster (reduced, original).
Natural History
Procryptocerus belti has been collected in both canopy and understory of primary rainforest, in second growth vegetation, in beach-edge vegetation, and in mangroves. Most collections are of foraging workers from low vegetation, but four nest series were collected from narrow-guage dead stems, at least one of which was detached and lodged in low vegetation. Collections have been made in the canopies of tall trees, including Brosimum, Sloanea, Ficus, and Leuhea. Specimens have been found in the feces of Cyclopes (silky anteater).
Types and Synonymy
Procryptocerus belti Forel 1899:46. Lectotype worker, 2 paralectotype queens, 1 paralectotype male: Costa Rica, Nicoya (Alfaro) [MHNG]; syntype workers, queens, males: same data [MCSN]. Kempf 1951:31 (redescription of all castes).
Kempf (1951:31) examined and described a syntype worker from MHNG, and designated it lectotype. The location of this worker is unknown. In July, 1990, I found only one male and two alate queens from the Nicoya series at MHNG (Kempf designated these paratypes, without examination). The missing worker is not among Kempf material at MZSP (Brandao, pers. com.). The original Nicoya series originated from Emery's collection [MCSN]. I examined these specimens (two workers, three males, two queens) in July, 1990. I designate one of the MCSN workers neotype.
Notes on Queen
Queen, Costa Rica (n=1): HW 0.92, HL 0.90, SL 0.60, EL 0.27, MeL 1.34, MeW 0.75, MTL 0.59, PtL 0.34, PtH 0.30, PtW 0.29, PpW 0.43.
One of the two syntype queens at MCSN is aberrant. Unlike typical P. belti workers and queens, this queen has greatly reduced erect setae on the gaster. The queen is typical in all other respects. A queen collected from a treefall in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica, is similarly aberrant, with greatly reduced setae on both the gaster and the mesosoma. This queen was collected along with absolutely typical workers.
Material Examined
COSTA RICA: Nicoya (A. Alfaro) [MCSN]; Heredia: La Selva Biological Station, 10¡26'N, 84¡01'W, 50m, 31 Jul 1982 (H. Hespenheide) LACM ENT 140188 [LACM]; same data, 8 Apr 1988, LACM ENT 140203 [JTLC]; same data, 27 Jul 1992, INBIOCRI001237793 [IBCR]; same data, 11 Jul 1982, LACM ENT 140187 [LACM]; same data, 17 May 1995 (J. Longino #3676-s) INBIOCRI001254123 [IBCR]; Limon: 7km SW Bribri [9¡36'N, 82¡52'W], 50m (P. Hanson) [UCRC]; Puntarenas: Sirena, Corcovado National Park, 8¡29'N, 83¡36'W, 5m, various dates 1979-1982 (J. Longino) LACM ENT 140176, LACM ENT 140175, LACM ENT 140202, LACM ENT 140178, LACM ENT 140181, LACM ENT 140177, LACM ENT 140179, LACM ENT 140180 [JTLC, LACM]; Bijagual, Carara Biol. Reserve, 9¡47'N, 84¡36'W, 500m, 26 Jul 1985 (J. Longino #0611) LACM ENT 140182, LACM ENT 140183, LACM ENT 140184, LACM ENT 140189 [JTLC, LACM]; same data, (P. S. Ward #7652, #7658, #7668) [UCDC]; same data (R. Zuniga) [IBCR]; Manuel Antonio Nat. Park, 9¡23'N, 84¡09'W, 20m, 20 Dec 1983 (P. S. Ward #6501, #6505) [UCDC]; same data, 27-28 Jul 1985 (J. Longino #0620, #0652, #0664-s) LACM ENT 140190, LACM ENT 140185, LACM ENT 140186; same data (P. S. Ward #7680, #7684, #7685) [UCDC]; Golfo Dulce, 3km SW Rincon [8¡42'N, 83¡29'W], 10m, Mar, Aug, Nov 1989 (P. Hanson) [UCRC]; 19km S Ciudad Neily, 8¡29'N, 82¡58'W, 20m, 25 Mar 1990 (J. Longino #2653) [JTLC].
ECUADOR: Los Rios: Rio Palenque, 2km SSE Patricia Pilar, 0¡35'S, 79¡22'W, 160m, 15 Aug 1991 (P. S. Ward #11480) LACM ENT 140191 [JTLC].
HONDURAS: Atlantida: La Ceiba [15¡47'N, 86¡48'W], (W. M. Mann) [USNM].
NICARAGUA: Isla de Diamante, 9-10 Oct 1994 (J. P. Caldwell) [CPDC].
PANAMA: Canal Zone: Ruta 1, 14 km W Panama City [8¡57'N, 79¡33'W], 200m, 14 Jul 1979 (W. L. Brown) LACM ENT 140201 [MCZC]; Pipeline Road, various dates 1975-1977 (G. G. Montgomery and Y. Lubin) LACM ENT 140159, LACM ENT 140160, LACM ENT 140166, LACM ENT 140161, LACM ENT 140162, LACM ENT 140163, LACM ENT 140164, LACM ENT 140165 [LACM]; Barro Colorado Island [9¡09'N, 79¡51'W], 100m, 27 Jun 1924 (W. M. Wheeler) LACM ENT 140195, LACM ENT 140196, LACM ENT 140197 [MCZC]; same data, various dates Jul 1977 (H. Hespenheide) LACM ENT 140167, LACM ENT 140168, LACM ENT 140169, LACM ENT 140170 [LACM]; same data, 15 Feb 1983 (D. E. Wheeler) LACM ENT 140199 [LACM]; Mt. Hope, nr. Colon [9¡20'N, 79¡54'W], 8 Jul 1924 (W. M. Wheeler) LACM ENT 140192, LACM ENT 140193, LACM ENT 140194 [MCZC]; Marajal, nr. Colon [9¡22'N, 79¡54'W], 11 Jul 1924 (W. M. Wheeler) LACM ENT 140198 [MCZC]; Monte Lirio [9¡14'N, 79¡15'W], 18 Nov 1911 (W. M. Wheeler) LACM ENT 140200 [MCZC]; Colon: Colon [9¡22'N, 79¡54'W], 2 Oct 1983 (E. Adams) LACM ENT 140171, LACM ENT 140172, LACM ENT 140173 [LACM]; Chiriqui: Chiriqui [8¡24'N, 82¡19'W], Apr 1923 (F. M. Gaige) LACM ENT 140174 [LACM]; Bugaba [8¡29'N, 82¡37'W] (Champion) [MHNG].
Literature Cited
Forel, A. 1899. Formicidae. Biologia Centrali-Americana, Hymenoptera 3:1-160.
Kempf, W. W. 1951. A taxonomic study on the ant tribe Cephalotini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Revista de Entomologia 22:1-244.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
Date of this version: 7 September 1998.
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