Myrmicocrypta spp

Attini, Myrmicinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia

worker face view

worker lateral view

Range

Costa Rica: Atlantic and southern Pacific lowlands.

Identification

Natural History

Comments

Species level understanding of this genus in Costa Rica must wait further taxonomic work. I have collected specimens from the Osa Peninsula and from La Selva Biological Station, but they are on loan to Jeffrey Sossa.

On a visit to the P. S. Ward collection at UC Davis, in 1995, I made the following notes on variation in Myrmicocrypta:
Form 1. Relatively spiny, larger. Corcovado, Llorona, 11-12 May 1979, 100m (Ward #3351), ex rotten log.
Form 2. Less spiny, smaller, weakly spatulate hairs, hairs over full first gastral tergum. 3km N Ciudad Neily, 8¡41'N 82¡57'W, 210m, 31 Jul 1985 (Ward #7771-12) sifted litter; Carara 30m (Ward#7581-8), ground foragers; more from Canal Zone.
Form 3. Like form 2 but hairs more spatulate, more erect, and clustered anteriorly on gastral tergum, leaving large part of disk shiny, clear of setae. Olson specimen from La Selva. 2 Mar 87.


Page author:

John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu


Date of this version: 16 December 2003.
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