Pheidole musinermis, Longino, 2019

Longino, John T., 2019, Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American Wet Forest, Zootaxa 4599 (1), pp. 1-126 : 48-49

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4599.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7CDD24FF-5BA3-4D06-898D-A3E220515D4C

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5B56E872-FFAF-4A7B-FF32-8E66FC52EE3E

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Pheidole musinermis
status

sp. nov.

Pheidole musinermis new species

( Plate 42 View PLATE 42 )

Pheidole JTL-123: morphospecies code previously used on AntWeb.

HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, San José: Cerro Plano , 9.48117 -83.96363 ± 50 m, 1060 m, 6-Jul- 2015, ridgetop cloud forest, at bait (ADMAC, Ba-E- 06-2-04-07) [ MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0631280] . PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [ CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC, MUCR, USNM] .

Geographic range. Costa Rica, Panama.

Diagnosis. Minor: face smooth and shining; head strongly tapering posteriorly; occipital carina strongly developed; promesonotal groove present, distinctly impressed; lateral pronotum smooth and shiny; katepisternum faintly foveate; propodeal spines nearly absent; gaster smooth and shining; abundant, flexuous, erect setae on mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gastral dorsum; color yellow. Major: inner hypostomal teeth widely spaced, acicular; scape base subterete, narrower than apical portion; face with irregular rugulae anteriorly, entire face with faint foveolate sculpture; promesonotal groove impressed; propodeal spines forming obtuse angles, not dentiform; gastral dorsum foveolate on anterior half; abundant, erect, flexuous setae on face, sides of head, mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gastral dorsum.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.60, HL 0.87, SL 1.37, EL 0.17, WL 1.23, PSL 0.00, PTW 0.13, PPW 0.21, CI 69, SI 229, PSLI 0, PPI 154 (n=3).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.59, HL 1.70, SL 1.32, EL 0.25, WL 1.78, PSL 0.02, PTW 0.31, PPW 0.45, CI 94, SI 83, PSLI 2, PPI 147 (n=2).

Biology. This species occurs in lower montane wet forest. Most collections are from ground baits, to which minors and majors recruit. Minor workers have been collected in a pan trap and a Winkler sample of sifted litter.

Comments. This species is part of a complex of large, yellow species that occur in Costa Rica. It is similar to P. familiaparra , P. savegre , P. musacolor , and P. tinamu , but is distinguishable by the lack of propodeal spines in the minor worker.

Etymology: The color of a banana, and lacking propodeal spines.

MUCR

Museo de Insectos

CAS

California Academy of Sciences

DZUP

Universidade Federal do Parana, Colecao de Entomologia Pe. Jesus Santiago Moure

USNM

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Pheidole

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