Pheidole boltoni

Longino, J. T., 2009, Additions to the taxonomy of New World Pheidole (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 2181, pp. 1-90 : 17

Pheidole boltoni

Pheidole boltoni Wilson, 2003: 666 , figs. Holotype major worker and associated paratype minor worker: Costa Rica, Heredia, 8km N Volcan Barba, 10°12'N 84°06'W, 1830m, 4-14 Jul 1986 (Longino #1329) [ MCZ] (examined).

Pheidole humida Wilson, 2003: 614 , figs. Holotype major worker and associated paratype minor worker: Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Monteverde, 1550m, 20 May 1979 (P. S. Ward #3450) [ MCZ] (examined). New synonymy.

Geographic Range

Costa Rica.

Biology

This species is a montane cloud forest specialist. In the tropics ant abundance declines dramatically between 1500m and 2000m and ants are very difficult to find above 2000m. Pheidole boltoni occurs in a narrow band at the very upper edge of ants' natural occurrence. Several nests have been collected under epiphyte mats in recent branch and treefalls. One nest (the types of P. humida ) was collected in a rotten log.

Comments

The types of P. humida are very similar to types and additional material of P. boltoni , differing only in having a lighter color. Multiple collections of P. boltoni have been made at the peak of Volcan Barba in the Cordillera Volcanica Central. The type series of P. humida was collected in Monteverde, in the Cordillera de Tilaran. Oddly, no other material has been collected from Monteverde, in spite of intensive collecting there.