Pyramica paniaguae, John T. LONGINO, 2006

John T. LONGINO, 2006, New species and nomenclatural changes for the Costa Rican ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Myrmecologische Nachrichten 8, pp. 131-143 : 137-138

Pyramica paniaguae sp.n. ( Figs. 13, 14, 15, 19)

Holotype worker: Costa Rica: Heredia Prov., 16 km SSE La Virgen ( 10° 16' N, 84° 05' W), 1100 m elevation, 11. II.2001, leg. J. Longino #4375, specimen code JTLC000 008506 ( INBC).

Paratypes: 11 workers, same data as holotype, specimen code JTLC000008505 ( MCZC), JTLC000008507 ( LACM), JTLC000008508 ( UCDC), JTLC000008509 ( CASC), JTLC000008510 ( USNM), JTLC000008511 , LACM ENT 144683 ( BMNH), JTLC000008512 ( NMW), JTLC000008513 , JTLC000008514 , LACM ENT 144684 ( JTLC); 1 worker, same data as holotype but 14.II.2001, leg. Project ALAS 11/B/BE/029, INB0003212274 ( JTLC); 2 workers, Costa Rica: Heredia Prov., 11 km SE La Virgen ( 10° 20' N, 84° 04' W), 500 m elevation, 17.II.2003, leg. Project ALAS 05/B/BV/017, INB0003604821 , INB0 003604822 ( INBC); 1 worker, Costa Rica: Heredia Prov., 10 km NE Vara Blanca ( 10° 14' N, 84° 05' W), 1500 m elevation, 14.III.2005, leg. Project ALAS 15/B/BE/052, INB0003662486 ( INBC); 1 worker, same data but 20.III. 2005, leg. Project ALAS 15/B/BE/068, INB0003662711 ( INBC); 1 worker, same data but 8.II.2005, leg. Project ALAS 15 /B/BV/001, INB0003662491 ( INBC); 1 worker, same data but 14.II.2005, leg. Project ALAS 15/B/BV/ 014, INB0003662502 ( INBC) .

Diagnosis of worker: With the characters of the P. gundlachi group, sensu BOLTON (2000); inner margin of mandible evenly convex for nearly entire length; preapical mandibular dentition consisting of two well-defined small teeth proximal to apicodorsal tooth, second (basalmost) tooth larger than first, second tooth sometimes followed by minute denticle; eye with about 15 ommatidia; basalmost projecting seta on leading edge of scape curved away from base, remaining setae broadly fan-shaped and projecting forward; ground pilosity of clypeus, face, and promesonotum abundant, remiform, subdecumbent; dorsal face of propodeum and gastral dorsum lacking ground pilosity; most of mesosoma, petiole, and postpetiole feebly punctate, mesopleuron and part of side of propodeum smooth and shiny; metanotal groove broadly and shallowly impressed, such that promesonotum and dorsal face of propodeum form two separate convexities; gastral dorsum smooth and shiny with short, sparse basal costulae; pairs of stout clavate setae on sides of head at upper scrobe margin, upper face near vertex margin, pronotal humeri, mesonotum, and petiolar node; postpetiole and gaster with abundant stout clavate setae; color orange.

Measurements of holotype: ML 0.418, HL 0.733, HW 0.612, SL 0.332, MeL 0.710.

Etymology: Named for Maylin Paniagua G., Project ALAS Parataxonomist from 1994 to 2005.

Range: Costa Rica.

Biology: This species occurs in a restricted elevational band, from 500 m to 1500 m on the Barva transect in Braulio Carrillo National Park. It is arboreal, nesting un- der epiphytes. A colony was discovered during a 2001 Project ALAS expedition to the 1100 m site, an area of continuous cloud forest. A populous nest was under an epiphyte mat in a recent treefall. I found workers and brood, but no sexuals. Subsequently workers were obtained in Project ALAS Berlese samples of epiphytic material from the same and two other sites on the Barva Transect.