Attini, Myrmicinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
Range
Colombia (type locality), Costa Rica.
Identification
Metanotum with pair of longitudinal carinae (may be faint); anterior margin of clypeus slightly truncate or very weakly convex, opaque, lacking thin fringe of smooth cuticle; base of scape abruptly narrowing and curving under frontal lobe, forming angulate juncture where curved portion joins terete main shaft; propodeum with small propodeal teeth; mesosoma length about 1.7mm.
Similar species: Apterostigma auriculatum has no propodeal teeth and is generally larger.
Natural History
The type series was collected in the Choc— region of Colombia, in bamboo (Lattke 1997).
Apterostigma chocoensis occurs in wet forest habitats throughout Costa Rica, from sea level to 1100m. Most collection records are from Winkler samples of sifted leaf litter from the forest floor. Ted Schultz found a colony at La Selva Biological Station. The nest was between leaves in the leaf litter. The fungus garden was a sponge cake-like disk between the leaves, with no envelope.
Literature Cited
Lattke, J. E. 1997. Revisi—n del gˇnero Apterostigma Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Arq. Zool. (S‹o Paulo) 34:121-221.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu