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Key to Costa Rican Mycocepurus
The three species are all very uniform in habitus, differing mainly in the spines and tubercles on the promesonotum. The figure below illustrates the differences among the species. On all species there is a crown-like ring of spines on the promesonotum. Mycocepurus curvispinosus is missing the anteromedian pair, so the ring looks incomplete. Mycocepurus curvispinosus also has stout propodeal spines that curve anteriorly. Mycocepurus tardus and smithii both have anteromedian spines, so the ring is complete, and they have thinner, straight propodeal spines. Mycocepurus tardus is generally spinier than smithii. On smithii, the promesonotal dorsum in the middle of the ring is smooth or with a pair of low rounded tumosities. On tardus, there is a pair of spines in the middle of the ring. These spines may come to a distinct point or be in the form of two short, oblique carinae. Mycocepurus tardus also may have abundant short erect setae on the scapes, but this character is variable, grading into the nearly hairless condition seen in smithii.
Mycocepurus curvispinosus MacKay 1998
Mycocepurus smithii Forel 1893
Mycocepurus tardus Weber 1940
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505
USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu
Date of this version: 12 December 2003.
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