Adelomyrmex laevigatus MacKay

Longino, John T., 2012, A review of the ant genus Adelomyrmex Emery 1897 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Central America, Zootaxa 3456, pp. 1-35 : 19

Adelomyrmex laevigatus MacKay in Fernández & MacKay, 2003

( Figs 5 , 21 )

Adelomyrmex laevigatus ΜacΚay ȋn Eernández & ΜacΚay̓ 2ΟΟ3∶ 6ΟὈ fȋgs· ₄﹣7· Hο1οtype wοrker∶ Panama ̓ Chȋrȋquí∶ vο1cán̓ Hartman’s Finca, 16 Jun 1995 (R. Anderson #17801) [MCZC] (not examined). See also: Fernández, 2003: 19.

Geographic range. Costa Rica, Panama.

Biology. This species occurs in mature cloud forest leaf litter. It is found from 800–1500 m elevation, apparently in all the cordilleras of Costa Rica and western Panama. It is usually a lower density species than the sympatric A. tristani . At a 1000 m site on the Volcan Barva transect in Costa Rica, it was found in 18 of 150 miniWinkler samples, while it was not found at adjacent 500 m and 1500 m sites with similar sampling intensity ( Longino & Colwell 2011).

Comments. Adelomyrmex laevigatus appears to be an upland version of A. microps , with A. laevigatus being darker, more robust, and with shorter pilosity. Although they occur on the same mountain slope (Volcan Barva in Costa Rica), so far they have not been found together, with A. laevigatus only known from 800 m elevation and above, A. microps below 500 m.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Profile of (A) Adelomyrmex laevigatus and (B) A. microps.

FIGURE 21. Distribution of material examined in this study: Adelomyrmex anxiocalor sp. nov., A. betoi, A. bispeculum sp. nov., A. brenesi, A. laevigatus, A. mackayi, A. marginodus sp. nov., A. metzabok sp. nov., A. micans, A. microps, A. minimus, A. paratristani sp. nov., A. quetzal sp. nov., A. tristani.