Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Identification
Minor worker: head length 0.39mm, head width 0.37mm, scape length 0.32mm, Webers length 0.44mm (n=1). Head rounded behind, with median excavation; mesonotal suture absent; promesonotum evenly arched; propodeal spines short, spiniform; propodeal spiracle large, diameter about one third length of dorsal face of propodeum; face and mesosoma uniformly foveolate except for shiny patch on side of pronotum; first gastral tergum smooth and shining; dorsal pilosity moderately abundant, moderately long, flexuous; color orange.
Major worker: head length 0.83mm, head width 0.59mm, scape length 0.32mm (n=1). Face foveolate, with faint longitudinal rugae anteriorly; vertex lobes smooth and shiny; frontal carinae projecting anteriorly, in the form of dorsoventrally flattened horns; antennal scrobes weakly present in the form of shallow depressions beneath apices of scapes; hypostomal margin semicircular; teeth greatly reduced, a pair of small teeth present about one half distance from midline to recessed teeth flanking mandible bases (Figure); dorsal pilosity abundant; head with sparse short setae projecting from sides of head in face view.
Range
Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama (type locality). Costa Rica: Atlantic lowlands.
Natural History
Arboreal; nesting in small cavities in live plant stems.
Selected Records
La Selva: Canopy fogging samples.
La Selva: mature wet forest; recent treefall with abundant Bauhinia vines; nests in at least four adjacent cavities in live Bauhinia stem; appeared to be polydomous colony widespread in vine; no reproductives found in any chambers.
Braulio Carrillo National Park, 600m: mature wet forest; recent treefall covered with bignoniaceous liana; nest in hollow live stems of this liana.
Braulio Carrillo National Park, 600m: wet forest edge; nest in Cecropia insignis sapling.
Hitoy Cerere Biological Reserve: mature wet forest at river edge; small tree (possibly Acalypha or Urera) with soft pith, hollow in places with ant nests inside of live branches; nests of this species were scattered throughout the tree, possibly polydomous.
Colombia, Tayrona National Park: seasonal dry forest; nest in one internode of Cecropia peltata sapling.
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
Last modified: 3 December 1997
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