Pheidole familiaparra, Longino, 2019

Longino, John T., 2019, Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American Wet Forest, Zootaxa 4599 (1), pp. 1-126 : 34-35

Pheidole familiaparra new species

( Plate 53 )

Pheidole JTL-254: morphospecies code previously used on AntWeb.

HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, San José: Ranchos Tinamu , 9.48544 -83.95394 ± 100m, 760m, 9- Jul-2015, montane wet forest, near edge of pasture, at bait (ADMAC, Ba-E- 07-1-02-12) [ MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0631331] . PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [ CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC, MUCR, USNM] .

Geographic range. Costa Rica.

Diagnosis. Minor: face smooth and shining; head tapering posteriorly; occipital carina moderately developed; promesonotal groove present, distinctly impressed; lateral pronotum smooth and shiny; katepisternum uniformly foveate; propodeal spines long, similar in length to posterior face of propodeum; 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 rugulose foveolate sculpture anteriorly, fading to smooth and shining posteriorly; promesonotal groove impressed; propodeal spines about half length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; abundant erect setae on face, sides of head, mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gastral dorsum.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.69, HL 0.93, SL 1.32, EL 0.17, WL 1.26, PSL 0.21, PTW 0.16, PPW 0.22, CI 74, SI 193, PSLI 31, PPI 143 (n=1).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.55, HL 1.65, SL 1.24, EL 0.25, WL 1.71, PSL 0.21, PTW 0.28, PPW 0.43, CI 94, SI 80, PSLI 13, PPI 153 (n=2).

Biology. This species occurs in montane wet forest. It is known from ground baits.

Comments. See under P. tinamu . A collection of a major worker from a site in northern Costa Rica, in the Cordillera de Guanacaste, is tentatively identified as this species.

Etymology: In honor of the extended Parra family who helped us during expeditions to the Río Savegre area in 2015: Rafael, Marieugenia, and Daniela Parra from Santa María de Dota, and Santiago Parra from Ranchos Tinamu.

Figures

PLATE 53.