Pheidole fincanaranjo, Longino, 2019

Longino, John T., 2019, Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American Wet Forest, Zootaxa 4599 (1), pp. 1-126 : 35

Pheidole fincanaranjo new species

( Plate 32 )

Pheidole JTL-250: morphospecies code previously used on AntWeb.

HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, San José: 9km SSE Santa María , 9.56866 -83.95125 ± 50 m, 1550 m, 29-Jun-2015, cloud forest, on steep slope, probably old 2nd growth, near pasture, at bait (ADMAC, Ba-E- 05-3- 04-08) [ MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0632181] . PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [ CAS, DZUP, MCZC, MUCR, USNM] .

Geographic range. Costa Rica.

Diagnosis. Minor: face foveolate overlain with faint irregular rugulae; vertex margin shallowly emarginate in full face view; promesonotal groove very weakly impressed; pronotal dorsum foveolate overlain with conspicuous reticulate rugulae; lateral pronotum and katepisternum foveolate; propodeal spines as long as posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; abundant erect setae on mesosomal and gastral dorsum, tibiae; color red brown. Major: inner hypostomal teeth large, closely spaced; scape base terete; face mostly foveolate, overlain with longitudinal carinulae between eye and antennal fossa and in medial area between frontal carinae, posterior margin of vertex lobes smooth and shiny; propodeal spines about two thirds length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shiny; abundant erect setae on sides of head, tibiae, mesosomal and gastral dorsum.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.55, HL 0.55, SL 0.44, EL 0.11, WL 0.64, PSL 0.12, PTW 0.11, PPW 0.15, CI 99, SI 80, PSLI 22, PPI 143 (n=1).

Measurements, major worker: HW 0.92, HL 0.94, SL 0.45, EL 0.15, WL 0.84, PSL 0.15, PTW 0.20, PPW 0.32, CI 98, SI 49, PSLI 16, PPI 162 (n=1).

Biology. This species occurs in cloud forest. Major and minor workers recruit to ground baits, and workers occur in Winkler samples of sifted litter and rotten wood.

Comments. Pheidole fincanaranjo is similar to P. specularis , differing in the larger size in general (minor worker mean HW 0.55 vs. 0.47, major worker mean HW 0.92 vs. 0.87), and the longer spines and dorsal reticulate rugose sculpture of the minor worker. Pheidole specularis is a widespread lowland species, found near P. fincanaranjo at lower elevations.

Etymology: Finca Naranjo was the name of the farm where the type specimens were collected.

Figures

PLATE 32.