Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Identification
Minor worker: head length 0.52mm, head width 0.49mm, scape length 0.49mm, Webers length 0.66mm (n=1). Head rounded behind, somewhat flattened medially; mesonotal suture weakly impressed to absent; humeri somewhat produced as low, subtriangular tubercles; propodeal spines long, curved downward; face and mesosoma uniformly foveolate; first gastral tergum smooth and shining; dorsal pilosity sparse, short, moderately stiff; color orange.
Major worker: head length 0.91mm, head width 0.86mm, scape length 0.50mm (n=1). Face largely punctatorugose, shining, rugae longitudinal and subparallel; hypostomal margin gently curved; median tooth absent; lateral teeth pointed, about one half distance from midline to recessed teeth flanking mandible bases; dorsal pilosity sparse; head with one or two medium length setae projecting from sides of head in face view.
Range
Costa Rica: mid-elevation Atlantic slope.
Natural History
This species occurs in wet forest habitats. It is arboreal, nesting in live plant stems.
Selected Records
Rara Avis: 25yr old second growth and primary forest. Nest in 4mm dia live stem of epiphytic melastome on tree trunk.
Penas Blancas Valley: mature wet forest; nesting in foliar pouches of Tococa-like plant. These nests were in a clump of 3 plants. I put about 5 leaves that had intact foliar pouches together in a bag. Later I dissected them and combined the contents. Each leaf contained ants. Two leaves contained dealate colony queens. Thus, this collection may contain several separate colonies. [two species in collection]
Penas Blancas Valley: new second growth veg.; bananas, Piper, tall grass. Colony in a living stem of a sapling; in a chamber about 2m high; edge of mature forest.
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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