Pheidole caliginosa, Longino, 2019

Longino, John T., 2019, Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American Wet Forest, Zootaxa 4599 (1), pp. 1-126 : 29

Pheidole caliginosa new species

( Plate 55 )

Pheidole JTL-252: morphospecies code previously used on AntWeb.

HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, San José: Cerro Plano , 9.48141 -83.96276 ± 100 m, 1070 m, 6-Jul- 2015, ridgetop cloud forest, at bait (ADMAC, Ba-E- 06-1-03-11) [ MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0631248] . PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [ MCZC, MUCR]; same data except Ranchos Tinamu, 9.48686 -83.95215 ± 100 m, 720 m, 9-Jul-2015, montane wet forest, near pasture, at bait (ADMAC, Ba-E- 07-1-03-03) [ CAS]; Ba-E- 07-1-03-04 [ JTLC, DZUP]; Ba-E- 07-1-03-08 [ JTLC, USNM] .

Geographic range. Costa Rica.

Diagnosis. Minor: face smooth and shining; head rounded behind; promesonotal groove present, distinctly impressed; pronotum entirely smooth and shining; katepisternum foveolate; propodeal spines about half length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; mesosomal and gastral dorsum, tibiae with abundant erect dark amber setae; color dark brown to black. Major: inner hypostomal teeth widely spaced, acicular; scape base terete; face mostly smooth and shining, with longitudinal carinulae between eye and antennal fossa, a few longitudinal carinulae medial to frontal carinae; propodeal spines about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; side of head with erect setae; mesosomal and gastral dorsum, tibiae with abundant erect dark amber setae.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.75, HL 0.88, SL 1.10, EL 0.18, WL 1.16, PSL 0.11, PTW 0.18, PPW 0.26, CI 86, SI 147, PSLI 14, PPI 145 (n=2).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.46, HL 1.51, SL 1.08, EL 0.23, WL 1.46, PSL 0.13, PTW 0.31, PPW 0.42, CI 96, SI 74, PSLI 9, PPI 137 (n=2).

Biology. This species occurs in lowland to lower montane wet forest. Minor and major workers recruit to ground baits, and workers occur in Winkler samples of sifted litter and rotten wood. A few minor workers have been collected in beating samples.

Comments. This species is similar to P. hector and P. hectornidita . Compared to both species, the head of the minor worker is more rounded behind, with less developed occipital carina. Both it and P. hector have dark amber setae.

Etymology: Latin for dark.

Figures

PLATE 55.