Formicinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Range
Costa Rica to southern Brazil. Costa Rica: mature wet to moist forest habitats from sea level to 1000m, on both Atlantic and Pacific slopes.
Identification
Minor worker: scapes with fine appressed pubescence, no erect setae or with one inconspicuous short erect seta about mid-shaft; lateral margins of head with abundant projecting setae; mesosoma evenly arched; propodeum, meso and metathorax highly fused, sutures almost completely effaced, forming a single unit that articulates with the prothorax; dorsal profile of meso- meta- propodeal complex evenly convex, propodeum lacking differentiated dorsal and posterior faces; propodeum strongly laterally compressed, tectiform; sides of meso- meta- propodeal complex shagreened; first gastral tergite with moderately abundant to sparse appressed pubescence and moderately abundant erect setae; integument color variable but meso- meta- propodeal complex invariably dark brown, often contrasting with lighter red brown pronotum, legs, anterior face, and scapes; gaster generally dark brown with posterior margins of terga contrastingly white or yellow, forming distinct bands.
Major worker: head subquadrate; clypeus with pronounced median keel, in lateral view subtruncate, with posterior portion somewhat projecting; face granular/punctate, opaque, coarse anteriorly, becoming finer posteriorly, to nearly smooth on posterior margins of head; anterior face and lateral margins of head with dense stubble of short stiff setae.
Similar species: salvini.
Natural History
This species inhabits wet and moist forest habitats, usually associated with mature forests. It is a relatively common diurnal forager on low vegetation, and may be found visiting extrafloral nectaries. It is relatively common in canopy fogging samples from La Selva. It seems quite variable in its nesting habits, but generally appears to be an opportunistic cavity nester. Surveys of the contents of Cecropia saplings have produced several nests of C. fastigatus. I observed a nest in the live stem of a large composit in a rainforest clearing, and several times I have found nests in dead wood on the forest floor.
Type Data
Notes
Literature Cited
Roger, J. 1863. Verzeichniss der Formiciden-Gattungen und Arten. Berl. Entomol. Z. 7(Beilage):1-65.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu
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