Formicinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
Additional images: male genitalia, dorsal, lateral, ventral, penis valve.
Range
This species has a wide range across tropical South America, and has been recorded occurring as far north as Barbabos and Costa Rica. Costa Rica: Monteverde, Volcan Barva transect at 1100m.
Identification
Mandible with 3-4 teeth, basal tooth of mandible not enlarged, roughly triangular in shape; TL greater than 1.7mm; head width typically (in a nest series) greater than 0.50mm; thoracic hairs appressed and erect, with multiple erect hairs in addition to row on posterior portion of pronotum; antennae 9-11 segmented.
Similar species: palaga, from which it cannot be distinguished without males.
Natural History
The few Costa Rican records of this species are from cloud forest habitats. Workers have been collected in Winkler samples of sifted leaf litter from the forest floor.
Page author:
John LaPolla, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, USA. lapolla@eden.rutgers.edu
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu