Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
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Range
Panama (type locality), Costa Rica. Costa Rica: montane regions throughout the country.
Identification
Petiolar node "bun-shaped," broad at the base, with anterior and posterior faces converging to a rounded summit; mid-tibia lacking a pectinate apical spur; mesosoma relatively more elongate and less convex compared to convexiceps; size larger than micrommatum (WL greater than 1.05mm).
Similar species: convexiceps, micrommatum.
Natural History
The genus Proceratium comprises mostly rare and cryptic ants of leaf litter and soil, distributed throughout the world in both tropical and temperate zones (Baroni Urbani and de Andrade 2003). Some species of the genus are known to be specialized predators of spider eggs (Brown 1980).
In Costa Rica this species is known from cloud forest. It is encountered as isolated workers in sifted leaf litter samples from the forest floor.
Type data
Proceratium panamense de Andrade 2003:164, figs. 74, 75, 76, 77. Holotype worker: Panama, Boquete, 15 Jun 1978 (G. J. Umphrey) [MCZC].
Literature Cited
Baroni Urbani, C., and M. L. de Andrade. 2003. The ant genus Proceratium in the extant and fossil record (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali-Torino, Torino, Italy.
Brown, W. L., Jr. 1980 ("1979"). A remarkable new species of Proceratium, with dietary and other notes on the genus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Psyche (Camb.) 86:337-346.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
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