Pheidole nebulosa ^HNS

Pheidole nebulosa Wilson, 2003: 470 ^HNS, figs. Holotype major worker and associated paratype minor worker: Costa Rica, Heredia, La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo (Cover, Moffett, Tobin) [MCZ] (examined).

Pheidole scabriventris Wilson, 2003: 503 ^HNS, figs. Holotype major worker and associated paratype minor worker: Mexico, Veracruz, park canon, 2mi W Fortin, Hway 150, 6-9 Aug 1969 (S. & J. Peck) [MCZ] (examined). New synonymy.

Geographic Range

Mexico to Costa Rica.

Biology

This species inhabits mature wet forest. It appears to be both arboreal and terrestrial, occurring commonly in forest floor leaf litter and in the canopy. Nests are in irregular cavities in dead wood. Wilson (2005) observed that P. nebulosa ^HNS and two other species of small Pheidole ^HNS ( flavens ^HNS and bilimeki ^HNS) frequently prey on oribatid mites in the leaf litter.

Comments

Pheidole nebulosa ^HNS has a highly distinctive feature in the major workers: there is a single large rounded medial tooth on the hypostomal margin and no inner hypostomal teeth. All other Central American Pheidole ^HNS in the same size range and with similar sculptural features have inner hypostomal teeth. The only difference between the types of P. scabriventris ^HNS and P. nebulosa ^HNS is color. The former is red brown instead of yellow.