Pheidole musinermis, Longino, 2019

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

Pheidole musinermis new species

( 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.

Figures

PLATE 42.