Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
Range
Southern Texas to Costa Rica. Costa Rica: widespread, sea level to 1100m.
Identification
Mesosoma dorsum with appressed or decumbent pilosity in addition to longer erect to suberect hair; scapes with longer erect to suberect hair in addition to shorter decumbent to appressed pilosity; face and mesosoma coarsely rugose or areolate rugose, interspaces smooth or feebly punctate; WL 0.63-0.93mm; petiolar node somewhat skewed anteriorly, with anterior slope somewhat shorter and steeper than posterior slope.
Notes
This species shows high geographic variation in morphology, and is catholic in habitat preference (Kugler 1994). Kugler listed numerous habitats in which the species had been collected: mesquite-acacia savannah, riparian woodland, palm-thorn forest, rain forest, pine-oak forest, cecropia forest, and cacao plantation. Most specimens were from leaf litter on the ground, some were under a termite mound, and one was in orchids. Costa Rican specimens were from La Selva Biological Station, San Jose, and Jurrucarres. New Costa Rican records reported here include Longino Winkler samples from La Pacifica, Manuel Antonio, Hitoy Cerere, Sirena, and La Selva. The ALAS project at La Selva produced two dealate queens from a canopy fogging sample, and Longino collected an alate queen in a recent treefall.
Worker: lateral view, SEM (reduced, original);
mesosomal dorsum, SEM (reduced, original).
Queen: lateral view (reduced, original);
face view (reduced, original).
Literature Cited
Kugler, C. 1994. Revision of the ant genus Rogeria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with descriptions of the sting apparatus. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 3:17-89.
Page authors:
Grant Ramsey, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu
Charles Kugler, Radford University, Radford VA 24142 USA.