Aphaenogaster phalangium Emery

Longino, John T. & Cover, Stefan, 2004, A revision of the Aphaenogaster phalangium complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Zootaxa 655, pp. 1-12 : 10

Aphaenogaster phalangium Emery

Aphaenogaster phalangium Emery 1890:47 , pl. 5, fig. 6, 7. Syntype worker, male: Costa Rica [worker probably from Alajuela] (Alfaro) [MCSN] (examined, worker here designated LEC­ TOTYPE, male identified as araneoides ). Also described as new by Emery 1894:54. Description of larva (as A. araneoides inermis Forel ): Wheeler and Wheeler 1953:64. Combination in Aphaenogaster (Ischnomyrmex) : Forel 1899:59; in Aphaenogaster (Deromyrma) : Emery 1915:71.

Aphaenogaster (Ischnomyrmex) araneoides var. inermis Forel 1899:60 . Syntype worker: Costa Rica (Tonduz); Syntype worker, male: Panama, Bugaba (Champion) [MHNG, MCZC] (examined, MHNG Tonduz worker here designated LECTOTYPE). Combination in Aphaenogaster (Deromyrma) : Kempf 1972:23. NEW SYNONYMY

Aphaenogaster (Ischnomyrmex) araneoides var. nitidiventris Forel 1912:15 . Syntype worker, male: Costa Rica, Cañas Gudas [sic, Cañas Gordas] (Pittier) [MHNG] (examined). Combination in Aphaenogaster (Deromyrma) : Kempf 1972:23. NEW SYNONYMY

Aphaenogaster (Deromyrma) araneoides var. canalis Enzmann, J. 1947:149 , pl. 8. worker: Panama. NEW SYNONYMY

See under A. araneoides for discussion of A. phalangium lectotype designation.

The A. inermis syntypes that were collected by Tonduz in Costa Rica are identical to material from Corcovado National Park, with matte gaster and strongly constricted neck. The Wheelers' (1953) description of the larva of A. inermis was based on material from Barro Colorado Island in Panama. The A. nitidiventris syntypes were collected in Cañas Gordas, a site on the border with Panama in the Cordillera de Talamanca. They match more recent collections of A. phalangium from this area. They have a highly constricted neck, like material from the nearby Pacific lowlands, but the fourth abdominal tergite is sublucid and weakly shagreened. The identity of Enzmann's A. canalis cannot be unambiguously determined from the description or figure, but the description states "The insect is covered with beautiful golden erect hairs, which are longer and more abundant on the vertex and gaster, shorter and sparser on the thorax and legs." The fact that setae were mentioned on the legs suggests A. phalangium . Types were from Chiriqui, Panama, which, if from the lowlands, would be expected to be A. phalangium .