Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Identification
Minor worker: head length 0.40mm, head width 0.40mm, scape length 0.32mm, Webers length 0.45mm (n=1). Head flattened and somewhat excavate behind; mesonotal suture absent, promesonotum evenly arched; pronotum lacking transverse carina at anterior border; propodeal spines very short; face smooth and shining; mesosoma largely smooth and shining, with a few puncta around margins of katepisternum, between propodeal spiracle and spine, and on propodeal dorsum; gaster smooth and shining; dorsal pilosity sparse (8-10 setae on promesonotum), of moderate length, flexuous; color dark brown to light yellow brown.
Major worker: head length 0.82mm, head width 0.77mm, scape length 0.37mm (n=1). Head strongly flattened in profile; anterior one fourth of face with subparallel, longitudinal rugae; rest of face smooth and shining; hypostomal margin gently curved, with conspicuous median tooth and two smaller teeth about one half distance to recessed teeth flanking mandible bases; dorsal pilosity abundant; head with abundant, short setae projecting from sides of head in face view.
Variation: a series from the southern highlands of Costa Rica has major workers with relatively wider heads (head length 0.78mm, head width 0.69mm, n=1), and the hypostomal margin lacks the pair of lateral teeth.
Range
Costa Rica: Montane regions from 500 to 1600m (Monteverde area, Braulio Carrillo, Cerro Pittier).
Natural History
This species is common in Winkler samples from mature wet forest. Two nests have been observed, one in rotten wood on the ground, the other under loose bark of a dead tree trunk on the ground.
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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