Phylogenomic Species Delimitation, Taxonomy, and ‘ Bird Guide’ Identification for the Neotropical Ant Genus Rasopone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Longino, John T. Branstetter, Michael G. Insect Systematics and Diversity 2020 2020-03-31 4 2 1 1 33 Longino & Branstetter, 2020 [146,406,1149,1172] Insecta Formicidae Rasopone GBIF Animalia Hymenoptera 21 22 Arthropoda species cryptergates sp. nov.  ( Fig. 7; Supp Figs. S8and S 9[online only]) (Zoobank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: FFE0F396-AC3E-46B5- A78F-B0786CBE44DE)    HOLOTYPE: 1 alate queen, Costa Rica, Heredia: La Selva Biological Station, 10.43748 −84.01381±  20 m, 50 m,  9-iii-2004, lowland rainforest, ALAS, M/25/787 [UCR, unique specimen identifier JTLC000008527].  PARATYPES: same data as holotype except 10.41745 −84.01627±  20 m, 50 m,  2-ii-2005, mature wet forest, ex sifted leaf litter, TEAM, AMI-1-W-022-06 [ 1 worker, CAS, INB0003660648];  10.42519 −84.00399±  20 m, 50 m,  18-v-1993, light trap, ALAS, L/02/038 [1 alate queen, MCZC, INBIOCRI001276551; 1 alate queen, UCD, INBIOCRI001276552];  10.43333 −84.01667± 2 km,  50 m,  1-ix-2003, wet forest, H. A. Hespenheide[1 alate queen, USNM, JTLC000005546].   Geographic range. Costa Rica.   Diagnosis Lowland; mandible striate; anterior clypeal margin truncate; side of head with a few inconspicuous short setae; posterior margin of head in face view flat, posterolateral margins subangulate; petiole nearly cuboidal. Two species are within size and geographic range of  R. cryptergates:   Rasopone costaricensis( Fig. 9; Supp Figs. S3and S 4[online only]): montane; petiolar node more scale-like; posterolateral margins of head more rounded.   RasoponeMAS010 ( Fig. 7; Supp Fig. S47 [online only]): montane; side of head bare; posterolateral margins of vertex somewhat more rounded.   Measurements, worker:HW 1.07, HL 1.25, SL 0.84, PTL 0.47, PTH 0.82, CI 86, SI 79, PTI 57 ( n= 1).  Measurements, queen:HW 1.16 (1.10–1.23, 9); HL 1.37 (1.28– 1.46, 9); SL 1.10 (1.06–1.13, 2); PTH 0.81 (0.76–0.92, 5); PTL 0.48 (0.44–0.55, 5); CI 85 (81–87, 9); SI 93 (92–94, 2); PTI 59 (57–60, 5).   Biology This species occurs in lowland rainforest, from sea level to about 500 melevation. Only one worker is known, from a Winkler sample of forest floor litter and rotten wood. Multiple alate queens are known, from Malaise traps, flight intercept traps, and light traps. One alate queen is from a Berlese sample of litter and soil; it is possible the queen was a contaminant, attracted to the light bulb of the Berlese funnel. The queen records are from the months of January, February, March, May, and September.   Comments There has been intensive Winkler sampling at La Selva Biological Station, and workers of the smaller species  R. pluviselvaoccur moderately frequently in these samples, yet only one worker of  R. cryptergateshas been discovered.The alate queens are the reverse, with moderately abundant queens of  R. cryptergates, and a single alate queen of  R. pluviselva. Dealate queens of  R. pluviselvaoccur occasionally in Winkler samples. It is possible that  R. cryptergatesis more subterranean than  R. pluviselva, and workers hardly ever forage in the litter. Alternatively,  R. cryptergatesmay prefer open habitats such as pastures and lawns, and thus be more abundant in the agricultural landscape adjoining La Selva.  Rasopone cryptergatesmay produce more abundant alate queens, or queens that fly greater distances or higher above the ground. In contrast,  R. pluviselvamay rely on fewer or less vagile queens that fly close to the ground, rarely being captured by Malaise or light traps. UCE and COI data are available for the single worker specimen, placing it in a clade with three other species known only from Panama. However, the worker was associated with the queens based on morphology alone: the cuboidal shape of the petiolar node and matching size. There are currently no genetic data definitively associating the sequenced worker with the holotypequeen, so future confirmation is warranted. 2618791336 2004-03-09 ALAS Costa Rica 0 10.43748 La Selva Biological Station 28 -84.01381 21 22 JTLC000008527 1 Heredia holotype 2618791337 2005-02-02 TEAM, CAS Costa Rica 0 10.41745 La Selva Biological Station 28 -84.01627 21 22 AMI-1, INB0003660648 1 1 Heredia paratype 2618791312 1993-05-18 ALAS, MCZC, UCD Costa Rica 0 10.42519 28 -84.00399 21 22 INBIOCRI001276551, INBIOCRI001276552 1 Heredia paratype 2618791310 2003-09-01 USNM H. A. Hespenheide Costa Rica 50 10.43333 3 -84.01667 21 22 JTLC000005546 1 Heredia paratype