Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Image of petiole.
Range
Costa Rica, Panama (type locality). Costa Rica: Atlantic and southern Pacific lowlands.
Identification
When mandibles are in their usual resting position, with tips crossed, they project beyond anterior border of clypeus, leaving a distinct gap; clypeus reduced, leaving labrum largely exposed; hypostomal teeth reduced, barely or not visible in full-face view; head distinctly narrowed behind; face with large puncta (which may be dense or somewhat dispersed and shallow); dorsal and posterior faces of petiole meeting at nearly a right angle, not or only weakly produced as a posteriorly directed tooth; legs and scapes darker brown, not contrasting strongly with head and mesosoma.
Natural History
I know this species from La Selva Biological Station and from Sirena in Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. At La Selva I know it from stray workers and males at blacklights. At Sirena I observed a colony or colony fragment. A tight column of 39 adults was moving along a trail. They stopped at one point, the column broke up, and individuals ran madly about in a small area. After about 10 minutes of this a less well defined column moved 1m away to a spot under a Cecropia leaf. They were carrying pupae and large larvae, and one worker was missing the gaster.
Type data
Leptogenys (Lobopelta) ambigua Santschi 1931:267, figs. 2, 3. Syntype worker: Panama, France Field.
Notes
W. L. Brown identified a collection of this species from Corcovado as ambigua, and my concept of this species matches Santschi's description and illustration. However, I have not examined the types.
Literature Cited
Santschi, F. 1931. Fourmis de Cuba et de Panama. Revista de Entomologia, Rio de Janeiro 1:265-282.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
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