Formicinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
|
|
|
|
|
|
Range
Mexico to Panama. Costa Rica: rainforest habitats in Atlantic lowlands.
Identification
Minor worker: scapes with short, completely appressed pubescence, no erect setae; 1-2 short erect setae near mandibular insertions, otherwise lateral margins of head bare; face shallowly microreticulate, shining; dorsal and lateral faces of pronotum evenly convex, not differentiated, evenly rounded in anterior view, humeral angle very faint to absent; pronotum entirely smooth and shining, with 0-1 erect setae; dorsal and lateral faces of propodeum differentiated, meeting at an angle; dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum differentiated, meeting at a rounded shallow angle, subequal in length; mesopleura and sides of propodeum microreticulate, sharply contrasting with smooth pronotum; petiole tapering to sharp transverse crest, no erect setae on petiole; first gastral tergite separated into distinct anterior and dorsal faces by an elevated keel; dorsal face of first gastral tergite shagreened, with very sparse appressed pubescence, 1-3 erect setae; integument with sharply bounded black and yellow coloration; mesosoma and much of head shining black; coxae and legs, malar space and anterior face, scapes bright yellow; on two La Selva collections gastral terga are yellow with faint infuscated bands; on one specimen from 500m montane forest in Braulio Carrillo National Park, near La Selva, gastral terga are black with narrow yellow band on posterior border.
Major worker: head subcircular, truncate anteriorly; face densely micropunctate medially and anteriorly, grading to smooth and shining posteriorly and on sides ventral to eyes; lateral margins of head, anterior face, and clypeus with abundant short spatulate erect setae; head almost entirely yellow, with infuscation on posterior face and medial vertex margin; other characters as in minor worker.
Natural History
I know this species from only three collections. One stray minor worker was collected at a 500m site in Braulio Carrillo National Park, just south of La Selva. Another single minor worker was collected while climbing in the canopy of a Ceiba tree at La Selva. A series of minor and major workers was collected in one canopy fogging sample from the ALAS project.
Type Data
Notes
Literature Cited
Forel, A. 1899. Biologia Centrali-Americana; or, contributions to the knowledge of the fauna and flora of Mexico and Central America. Insecta. Hymenoptera. 3 (Formicidae). London. 169 pp.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu
Go back to top