Crematogaster monteverdensis ^HNS NEW SPECIES

Holotype worker

Costa Rica, Prov. Guanacaste, 3km N Santa Elena, 1500m, 10°20'N, 84°50'W, 26 Jun 1991 (Longino, collection code JTL2938) [INBC, specimen code JTLC000001403].

Paratypes

One dealate queen, same data as holotype [INBC, specimen code JTLC000001404]; worker and queen, same data [BMNH, specimen code JTLC000001405]; worker and queen, same data [LACM, specimen code JTLC000001406]; worker and queen, same data [MCZC, specimen code JTLC000001407]; worker and queen, same data [MHNG, specimen code JTLC000001408]; worker and queen, same data [NHMB, specimen code JTLC000001409]; worker and queen, same data [USNM, specimen code JTLC000001410]; worker and queen, same data [UCDC, specimen code JTLC000001411] .

Range

Costa Rica.

Description of worker

Differing from sumichrasti ^HNS in the following respects: tibiae with abundant suberect setae, but more uniform in length and none longer than maximum width of tibia ( sumichrasti ^HNS has one or more long macrosetae, subequal in length to twice maximum tibia width); pronotal dorsum with stronger longitudinal carinulae; dorsal and posterior faces of mesonotum meeting at an angle but angle less strongly produced, not tuberculate; dorsal pilosity generally shorter.

Measurements

Holotype: HL 0.702, HW 0.739, HC 0.685, SL 0.584, EL 0.192, WL 0.777, SPL 0.145, PTH 0.178, PTL 0.239, PTW 0.210, PPL 0.183, PPW 0.228, CI 105, OI 27, SI 83, PTHI 74, PTWI 88, PPI 125, SPI 19.

Other specimens: HL 0.726, 0.639, 0.718; HW 0.799, 0.686, 0.772; HC 0.732, 0.636, 0.699; SL 0.605, 0.554, 0.601; EL 0.199, 0.182, 0.208; A11L 0.248; A11W 0.135; A10L 0.114; A10W 0.119; A09L 0.076; A09W 0.093; A08L 0.057; A08W 0.074; WL 0.840, 0.719, 0.832; SPL 0.145, 0.134, 0.156; PTH 0.195, 0.184, 0.181; PTL 0.249, 0.222, 0.228; PTW 0.220, 0.206, 0.224; PPL 0.180, 0.151, 0.176; PPW 0.246, 0.220, 0.235; CI 110, 107, 108; OI 27, 28, 29; SI 83, 87, 84; PTHI 78, 83, 79; PTWI 88, 93, 98; PPI 137, 146, 134; SPI 17, 19, 19; ACI 0.24.

Queen

A normal queen (dorsal face of propodeum drops steeply from postscutellum and much of propodeum appears ventral to scutellum and postscutellum, Fig. 1) with general shape, sculpture, and pilosity characters of the worker; size characters as in Figures 4 and 5.

Etymology

This species is named after its type locality.

Biology

Crematogaster monteverdensis ^HNS inhabits moist forest areas in the Monteverde community area in the Cordillera de Tilarán and at a similar elevation on Cerro Cacao in the Cordillera de Guanacaste. I first encountered the species in Monteverde, where I observed workers and the small, dealate queens foraging together on the outside walls of a house. Subsequent collections were from nests in dead branches, either in recent treefalls or on the ground. These collections were generally located at pasture/forest edges. Nests were polygynous, with multiple dealate queens. Workers could be recruited to baits of mixed honey and solid vegetable oil. I have never seen alate queens, and one nest collection contained small apterous males similar to Wheeler's description of the males of atitlanica (Wheeler ^HNS 1936, see under sumichrasti ^HNS).

Comments

The two closely related species monteverdensis ^HNS and sumichrasti ^HNS are uniquely characterized by the combination of yellow coloration, relatively long, upturned propodeal spines, and long flexuous posterolateral mesonotal setae that are subequal in length to humeral setae. The only difference is that Crematogaster sumichrasti ^HNS has one or two extremely long setae on the tibiae.

I identified monteverdensis ^HNS specimens first as sumichrasti ^HNS until I discovered the consistent differences in tibial pilosity and promesonotal profile. Crematogaster sumichrasti ^HNS seems to have a microparapatric distribution with monteverdensis ^HNS, because typical sumichrasti ^HNS occur just downslope from Monteverde, at 700m elevation on the road down to the PanAmerican Highway.