Pheidole rogeripolita, Longino, 2019

Longino, John T., 2019, Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American Wet Forest, Zootaxa 4599 (1), pp. 1-126 : 56

Pheidole rogeripolita new species

( Plate 58 )

Pheidole JTL-134: morphospecies code previously used on AntWeb.

HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, Alajuela: Peñas Blancas River , 10.3 -84.73333 ± 2 km, 850 m, 3- Mar-2005, wet forest, nest in clay bank (J. Longino, JTL5465) [ MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0636564] . PARATYPES: major, minor worker, queen: same data as holotype [ JTLC, MUCR] ; Costa Rica, Alajuela: 10km E Monteverde , 10.3107 -84.71356 ± 50 m, 830 m, 15-May-2014, mature wet forest, nest in cavity in treetrunk (J. Longino, JTL8640) [ CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC, USNM] .

Geographic range. Costa Rica, Panama.

Diagnosis. Similar in most respects to P. rogeri . The minor worker has a smooth, shiny face, rather than the lustrous, shagreened face of P. rogeri . The major worker is not readily distinguishable.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.84, HL 1.14, SL 1.56, EL 0.18, WL 1.63, PSL 0.42, PTW 0.14, PPW 0.23, CI 74, SI 185, PSLI 50, PPI 164 (n=2).

Measurements, major worker: HW 2.35, HL 2.59, SL 1.53, EL 0.28, WL 2.19, PSL 0.44, PTW 0.29, PPW 0.51, CI 91, SI 66, PSLI 19, PPI 173 (n=2).

Measurements, queen: HW 2.23, HL 2.14, SL 1.62, EL 0.48, WL 3.25, PSL 0.41, PTW 0.51, PPW 0.90, CI 104, SI 73, PSLI 19, PPI 175 (n=1).

Biology. This species occurs in lower montane, mature wet forest. It nests in clay soil on vertical banks. Several nests have been discovered and excavated. Nest 1: the entrance was a flared auricle-like structure of accreted soil; irregular galleries extended back into bank from the entrance; abundant workers, soldiers, brood were found about 5cm deep. Nest 2: on a concave clay bank, the entrance under a shelf, pointing downward; the nest entrance was a projecting, thin-walled, open-mouthed cylinder, made of accreted soil. Nest 3: in an abandoned wax tube of a Trigona bee nest, in a buttressed trunk, 1.5 m high; the wax tube covered a hemispherical chamber about 8 cm diameter; the entire colony with a single queen appeared to be in this chamber; a uniformly distributed layer of larvae were adhering to the vertical back wall of the chamber. Nest 4: incipient nest in a clay bank; inconspicuous circular entrance tunnel; nest a spherical chamber 3-4 cm deep; most of the colony collected; 16 minor workers, 1 colony queen, brood. Nest 5: stream edge in moist forest; nest in clay bank deep in alcove with overhanging roots.

Comments. Pheidole rogeripolita is a montane variant of the widespread lowland species P. rogeri . The two are sister taxa and diverged about 5 mya ( Pheidole JTL 134 in Economo et al. 2019).

Etymology: Similar to P. rogeri , but smooth and shiny, without a dull surface.

Figures

PLATE 58.