Pheidole kelainos, Longino, 2019

Longino, John T., 2019, Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American Wet Forest, Zootaxa 4599 (1), pp. 1-126 : 41

Pheidole kelainos new species

( Plate 46 )

Pheidole JTL-070: morphospecies code previously used on AntWeb.

HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, Limón: Res. Biol. Hitoy Cerere, 9.66773 -83.02953 ± 50m, 150m, 13-Jun-2015, rainforest stream edge, nest in soil (J. Longino, JTL9268) [ MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0646308] . PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [ CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC, MUCR, USNM] .

Geographic range. Costa Rica.

Diagnosis. Minor: face smooth and shining; head somewhat tapering posteriorly; occipital carina moderately developed; promesonotal groove present, distinctly impressed; lateral pronotum smooth and shiny; katepisternum uniformly foveate; propodeal spines long, similar in length to posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; coarse, black, erect setae on mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gastral dorsum; color black. Major: inner hypostomal teeth widely spaced, acicular; scape base subterete, narrower than apical portion; face irregularly and shallowly rugulose foveolate over entire surface, rugulae fading posteriorly; propodeal spines long and thin, similar to minor; gastral dorsum shallowly foveolate on anterior third; abundant erect setae on sides of head, mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, gastral dorsum.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.62, HL 0.79, SL 1.1, EL 0.16, WL 1.06, PSL 0.15, PTW 0.11, PPW 0.19, CI 79, SI 177, PSLI 24, PPI 165 (n=2).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.34, HL 1.42, SL 1.14, EL 0.21, WL 1.44, PSL 0.19, PTW 0.24, PPW 0.36, CI 95, SI 85, PSLI 14, PPI 151 (n=2).

Biology. This species occurs in lowland rainforest. It is known from two collections. At La Selva Biological Station a single minor worker was collected at a ground bait. At Hitoy Cerere, the type locality, a nest was found at a stream edge in forest. The nest was in rocky, sandy soil of a steep shaded bank, near the water. The entrance was an irregular hole, leading to a nest chamber about 10 cm deep. The chamber contained adult males, major and minor workers, and brood.

Comments. This species is most similar to P. indagatrix , with which it is sympatric. It differs in darker, coarser pilosity and longer propodeal spines (mean PSLI 24 vs. 14).

Etymology: Greek for black, in reference to the black setae.

Figures

PLATE 46.