Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Identification
Minor worker: head length 0.59mm, head width 0.53mm, scape length 0.58mm, Webers length 0.72mm (n=1). Head rounded behind; promesonotum evenly arched, mesonotal suture very weak; propodeal spines small but distinct; face and pronotum smooth and shining, katepisternum and lateral propodeum feebly foveolate; postpetiole grossly swollen; dorsal pilosity abundant, long, flexuous, some setae on mesosomal dorsum branched near apex, branches minute; color brown.
Major worker: head length 1.22mm, head width 1.21mm, scape length 0.65mm (n=1). Face between frontal carinae with parallel longitudinal carinae, space between eyes and frontal carinae punctatorugose overlain with parallel longitudinal carinae, rest of face smooth and shiny; hypostomal margin nearly flat, with pair of very small, low tubercles, located about one third distance from midline to recessed teeth flanking mandibles (superficially looks like there are no hypostomal teeth); dorsal pilosity abundant; sparse subdecumbent setae projecting from sides of head in face view.
Range
A cosmopolitan tramp found in many tropical and subtropical regions, introduced in New World tropics.
Natural History
An invasive pest ant.
Selected Records
San Jose; infesting hotel room (Hotel Galilea) in April 1996.
La Selva: L. Tennant, March 1989, carton nest, underside of Dieffenbachia leaf.
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
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