Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
|
|
|
Identification
Minor worker: head length 0.74mm, head width 0.61mm, scape length 0.90mm, Webers length 0.93mm (n=1). Head rounded behind, vertex collar very narrow; promesonotal and metanotal grooves well impressed; propodeal spines short; face smooth and shiny, with widely-spaced striae in area between eye, frontal carina, and mandibular insertion; pronotum smooth and shiny; rest of mesosoma uniformly foveolate; gaster smooth and shiny; scapes with abundant erect setae; face and mesosoma with abundant, long, flexuous setae; gaster with abundant suberect setae, a few very long and projecting above the rest; color red brown.
Major worker: head length 1.12mm, head width 1.15mm, scape length 0.86mm (n=1). Face shiny throughout; mostly smooth, with widely-spaced striae in area between eye, frontal carina, and mandibular insertion; hypostomal margin with pair of widely-spaced, spiniform teeth, located near small recessed teeth flanking mandibles; scapes flattened and curved at base; setae projecting from face and vertex margin, but setae on sides of head appressed, not projecting; mesosoma with abundant dorsal setae; gaster with sparse but long appressed pubescence, and sparse long flexuous erect setae.
Two series are at the MCZ. They were collected by W. M. Wheeler in Cartago in 1911. A pin bears a determination label, indicating it was compared with the type of pubiventris, by W. L. Brown in 1963. The species is part of a set of very similar species that occur in Costa Rica. Given that the type locality of pubiventris is southern Brazil, and that we do not know Brown's understanding of the similar species occurring in Costa Rica, we consider Brown's determination weakly supported. Nevertheless, we will use the name pubiventris for this taxon until evidence suggests otherwise.
Range
Brazil (type locality), Costa Rica. Costa Rica: Cartago.
Natural History
Selected Records
"Cartago," collected by W. M. Wheeler in 1911.
Page authors:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
Stefan Cover, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138 USA. scover@oeb.harvard.edu
Go back to top