Kempf, 1961 : 504
Brandão, 1990 : 448
Kempf, 1970 : 362
A taxonomic review of the ant genus Megalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Central America
Longino, John T.
Zootaxa
2010
2720
35
58
7384D
Kempf
Kempf
[151,485,151,176]
Insecta
Formicidae
Megalomyrmex
Animalia
Hymenoptera
9
44
Arthropoda
species
drifti
Megalomyrmex drifti Kempf, 1961: 504, figs 9–11. Holotypeworker, paratypeworkers, queen: Dirkshoop, Surinam[MZSP] (not examined). Brandão, 1990: 448, description of male. See also: Kempf, 1970: 362.
Measurements. Worker: HW 0.40–0.55, HL 0.53–0.65, SL 0.40–0.55, ML 0.65–0.80 (n=20, from Brandão, 1990). Geographic range.Widespread in tropical South America, north through Central Americato southern Mexico.
Biology.This species occurs in moist to wet forest habitats, in mature and second growth forest. Most collections are from below 600 melevation, but collections from 1500 mcloud forest are known. Workers and occasionally queens are moderately abundant in Winkler samples of sifted litter. In Costa Rican wet forest I found a nest in a dead stick in the leaf litter; it contained abundant workers, brood, alate queens, and males. The collection was made on 9 November 2002, the height of the wet season.
Comments.Specimens I have examined from Costa Ricahave a pair of carinae on the worker and queen clypeus, a character used as part of the species diagnosis by Kempf (1961). However, specimens from Hondurasto Mexicolack the clypeal carinae. They are very similar in most other respects, and I consider this geographic variation within a single species.
Material examined. COSTA RICA: Guanacaste: Bosque Humedo, Santa Rosa Nat. Park, 10°51'N, 085°37'W, 300 m, 12 Jul 1985(J. Longino); Heredia: 7 kmSW Pto. Viejo, 10°24'14"N, 084°02'22"W, 160 m, mature wet forest, 19 Apr 2007(Gilberth H / Felix C); 16 kmSSW Pto. Viejo, 10°19'03"N, 084°02'56"W, 500 m, 11 Jul 2006(Gilbert H / Johanna H); Casa Plastico, 17 kmS Pto. Viejo, 10°18'N, 084°02'W, 550 m, 22 Jan 1989(J. Longino); La Selva, 8 kmSW Pto. Viejo, 10°24'N, 084°03'W, 150 m, 17 Jul 1986(J. Longino); 10 kmSE La Virgen, 10°20'N, 084°05'W, 500 m, wet forest, 9 Nov 2002(J. Longino); 11 kmESE La Virgen, 10°21'N, 084°03'W, 300 m, montane wet forest, 15 Feb 2004( ALAS); 11 kmSE La Virgen, 10°20'N, 084°04'W, 500 m, 19 Feb 2003( ALAS); Limón: Hitoy Cerere Biol. Reserve, 09°40'N, 083°02'W, 100 m, mature and second growth wet forest, 1 Sep 1985(J. Longino); Puntarenas: Sirena, Corcovado National Park, 08°29'N, 083°36'W, 5 m, 18 Dec 1990(J. Longino); Manuel Antonio Nat. Park, 09°23'N, 084°09'W, 20 m, 27 Jul 1985(J. Longino); Rancho Quemado, Osa Peninsula, 08°42'N, 083°33'W, 200 m, 15 Dec 1990(J. Longino); 13 kmSSW Pto. Jimenez, 08°24'24"N, 083°19'42"W, 130 m, tropical rainforest, 10 Mar 2008(J. Longino); GUATEMALA: El Progreso: 3.7 kmSW Morazán, 14°54'18"N, 090°09'13"W, 460 m, tropical dry forest, 8 Jul 2007(M. Branstetter); 12 kmN San Agustin Acasaguastlan, 15°02'30"N, 089°58'00"W, 1200 m, oak pine forest, 3 Jun 1991(R. S. Anderson); Izabal: 5 kmNW Morales, 15°30'50"N, 088°51'56"W, 250 m, 2º lowland tropical rainforest, 17 May 2009( LLAMA); 16 kmESE Morales, 15°24'46"N, 088°42'37"W, 415 m, 19 May 2009( LLAMA); Petén: Cerro Cahuí, 17°00'09"N, 089°43'03"W, 250 m, treefall gap in tropical moist forest, 22 May 2009( LLAMA); Parq. Nac. Tikal, 17°14'25"N, 089°37'19"W, 270 m( LLAMA); 13 kmNW Machaquilá, 16°26'44"N, 089°33'00"W, 400 m, 27 May 2009( LLAMA); Suchitepéquez: 5.5 kmS Vol. Atitlán, 14°31'39"N, 091°11'48"W, 1056m, riparian wet forest, 18 Jun 2009(R. S. Anderson); HONDURAS: Olancho: 14 kmWSW Catacamas, 14°47'59"N, 086°00'51"W, 600 m, tropical moist forest, 13 May 2009(J. Longino); MEXICO: Chiapas: Nahá, 16°58'27"N, 091°35'09"W, 950 m, montane wet forest, 14 Jul 2007(J. Longino); 2.5 kmS Nuevo San Juan Chamula, 16°07'25"N, 091°26'44"W, 750 m, montane evergreen forest (roadside), 22 Jul 2007(R. S. Anderson); 6 kmSW Ocosingo, 16°52'02"N, 092°04'43"W, 1400 m, wet oak pine forest, 16 Sep 1992(R. S. Anderson); 8 kmSE Salto de Agua, 17°30'56"N, 092°18'09"W, 100 m, 2º wet forest, 14 Jun 2008( LLAMA); 2 kmSE Custepec, 15°43'15"N, 092°57'03"W, 1520 m, mesophil forest, 17 May 2008( LLAMA); Playón de la Gloria, 16°08'12"N, 090°55'00"W, 155 m, lowland wet forest, 27 Jun 2008( LLAMA); Lago Metzabok, 17°07'32"N, 091°37'51"W, 570 m, lowland wet forest, 6 Jun 2008( LLAMA).