Pheidole laselvoides, Longino, 2019

Longino, John T., 2019, Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American Wet Forest, Zootaxa 4599 (1), pp. 1-126 : 43

Pheidole laselvoides new species

( Plate 3 )

Pheidole JTL-218: morphospecies code previously used on AntWeb.

HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, Heredia: 22km N Volcan Barba , 10.333 -84.067 ± 2km, 500 m, 15-Mar- 1985, wet forest, nest in rotten wood (J. Longino, JTL0209) [ MUCR, unique specimen identifier INBIOCRI002279737] . PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [ CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC USNM, MUCR] .

Geographic range. Nicaragua to Panama.

Diagnosis. Minor: face smooth and shining; promesonotal groove absent; promesonotum and katepisternum smooth and shiny; dorsal face of propodeum foveolate; anterior and dorsal faces of pronotum separated by a single transverse carina; propodeal spines short triangular denticles, <one fifth length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; mesosomal and gastral dorsum with abundant flexuous erect setae; tibiae lack erect setae; color red brown. Major: inner hypostomal teeth small denticles, inconspicuous, about half way between midline and outer hypostomal teeth; scape base terete; face mostly smooth and shining, with fine, somewhat closely spaced longitudinal carinulae on anterior third; propodeal spines short triangular teeth, upturned, <one fifth length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; side of head with short suberect setae; mesosomal and gastral dorsum with abundant flexuous erect setae; tibiae without erect setae.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.38, HL 0.42, SL 0.35, EL 0.09, WL 0.47, PSL 0.02, PTW 0.06, PPW 0.10, CI 90, SI 92, PSLI 5, PPI 158 (n=6).

Measurements, major worker: HW 0.69, HL 0.80, SL 0.41, EL 0.11, WL 0.63, PSL 0.03, PTW 0.11, PPW 0.19, CI 87, SI 60, PSLI 5, PPI 177 (n=6).

Measurements, queen: HW 0.65, HL 0.66, SL 0.42, EL 0.20, WL 0.98, PSL 0.04, PTW 0.19, PPW 0.30, CI 99, SI 65, PSLI 6, PPI 151 (n=2).

Biology. This species inhabits lowland rain forest. Workers recruit to ground baits and are collected in Winkler samples of sifted leaf litter and rotten wood from the forest floor. Nests have been observed mostly in soft rotten wood on the forest floor. Nest have also been found under epiphyte mats in old treefalls and under a stone.

Comments. Pheidole laselva and P. laselvoides are a cryptic species pair that were initially conflated. DNA barcoding revealed two broadly sympatric clades, and subsequent examination revealed morphological differences in the major worker. The major of P. laselvoides has more and finer carinulae on the face between the frontal carinae; and the pilosity on the side of the head is shorter and more appressed. The minor workers are currently inseparable by visual inspection. Wilson's P. ebenina was synonymized under P. laselva by Longino (2009), prior to understanding of the two cryptic species. It has the major face sculpture of true P. laselva and remains a synonym.

Etymology: Similar to P. laselva .

Figures

PLATE 3.