Formicinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Additional images: worker scape (small, large).
Range
Costa Rica (type locality), Trinidad, Guianas. Costa Rica: Atlantic lowlands to 600m.
Identification
Scape with macrochaetae conspicuous, long, strongly differentiated from appressed pubescence; mesosoma with no appressed pubescence; propodeum inflated; large and gracile, with elongate mesosoma and long scapes and legs.
Similar species: JTL-010.
Natural History
This species inhabitats mature lowland rainforest. It lives in small carton nests constructed beneath individual leaves (Fig. 1). Strap or fan-shaped leaves, such as palms, cyclanths, and aroids, are most often used. In this regard it is similar to several other ant species that build isolated carton nests under leaves: Pheidole fiorii, Camponotus senex, nitidior and chartifex, Technomyrmex fulvus, and Tapinoma sp. No other known species of Paratrechina has this nesting behavior.
The species is common in Project ALAS canopy fogging samples from La Selva Biological Station.
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Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu
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