Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Identification
Minor worker: head length 0.58mm, head width 0.56mm, scape length 0.51mm, Webers length 0.72mm (n=1). Head flattened behind; mesonotal suture absent; humeri somewhat produced; propodeal spines of moderate length; face and pronotum smooth and shining; katepisternum, anepisternum, and propodeum punctatorugose; gaster smooth and shining; dorsal pilosity abundant, long, flexuous; color red brown.
Major worker: head length 1.12mm, head width 1.07mm, scape length 0.56mm (n=1). Anterior two thirds of face with longitudinal, subparallel rugae, posterior fourth and vertex lobes smooth and shining; antennal scrobes present in the form of broad, shallow depressions beneath apices of scapes, dorsally margined by posterior extensions of frontal carinae; hypostomal margin gently curved, with no median tooth, and pair of minute teeth about half distance to recessed teeth flanking mandible bases; dorsal pilosity abundant; head with abundant, suberect setae projecting from sides of head in face view.
Range
Costa Rica, Panama.
Natural History
This species occurs in various forested habitats. It is arboreal. Colonies appear large, with workers scattered over a wide area.
Selected Records
Corcovado National Park (Sirena): A tall dead tree, largely barkless, recently fell. There were two pheidole species, I think, but they looked very similar. The darker species [umphreyi] was abundant on the surface, often entering small beetle holes. The lighter species [sagana] was found as a cluster of minors, soldiers, and brood beneath a scrap of bark that remained attached to the tree.
Monteverde: 1100m on road to San Luis Valley. Patch of dry scrub. Workers on surface of fallen or felled dead tree being sawn up for lumber.
Braulio Carrillo National Park: Winkler sample at 1950m.
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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