Pheidole prostrata ^HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L prostrata ^HNS, low, flattened, alluding to the low mesonotal convexity and postpetiolar node of the minor in side view.

Diagnosis Major: varicolored, with bicolorous head; dorsolateral areas of head anterior to the occiput weakly rugoreticulate, with the dorsal head surface between the rugoreticular patches longitudinally carinulate; dorsal pilosity of body dense, long, and erect; propodeal spine long and thin.

Minor: mesonotal convexity and postpetiolar node in side view flattened; dorsal pilosity of head and mesosoma sparse, long, and erect.

Similar to aculifera ^HNS (in the fallax ^HNS group), whose major has a rugoreticulum mesad to the eyes but not just anterior to occiput, with the posterior half of the head foveolate only, and neither carinulate nor foveolate as in prostrata ^HNS. The propodeal spiracle is very small in the major compared to that of aculifera ^HNS. See also the less similar boruca ^HNS, variegata ^HNS, and violacea ^HNS.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.12, HL 1.12, SL 0.80, EL 0.16, PW 0.48. Paratype minor: HW 0.48, HL 0.64, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.32.

Color Major: head bicolorous, with clypeus and capsule posterior to anterior margins of eyes light brown, and rest of capsule brownish yellow; gaster and waist light brown; mesosoma brownish yellow; legs yellow.

Minor: head posterior to eyes, as well as postpetiole and gaster, light brown; mesosoma, anterior margin of head capsule, and petiole brownish yellow; appendages yellow.

Range Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica (J. T. Longino 1997).

biology According to Longino (1997), prostrata ^HNS nests in the low arboreal zone, within a few meters of the ground, in mature wet forest. It apparently does not forage onto the ground.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia (Leeanne E. Tennant-Alonso). Scale bars = 1 mm.