Pheidole ajaxigibba, Longino, 2019

Longino, John T., 2019, Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American Wet Forest, Zootaxa 4599 (1), pp. 1-126 : 21-22

Pheidole ajaxigibba new species

( Plate 51 )

Pheidole JTL-223: morphospecies code previously used on AntWeb.

HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, Puntarenas: Sirena , Corcovado NP, 8.48067 -83.58885 ± 1 km, 25 m, 29-Jun-2013, rainforest, nest in dead wood (J. Longino, JTL8286.1) [ MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0638172] . PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [ CAS, DZUP, MCZC, USNM] .

Geographic range. Costa Rica.

Diagnosis. Minor: face smooth and shining; head tapered posteriorly to narrow neck and strongly developed occipital carina; promesonotal groove deep and broad; mesonotum strongly protruding in lateral view; pronotum smooth and shining; katepisternum with faint foveolation and strong longitudinal rugulae; propodeal spines long, thin, about as long as posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; abundant erect setae on mesosomal and gastral dorsum, tibiae; color yellow orange. Major: inner hypostomal teeth widely spaced, in form of small, inconspicuous denticles; scape base terete; face with foveolation overlain with reticulate rugulae throughout, these becoming more longitudinally oriented posteriorly; propodeal spines about two thirds length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum sericeous/striolate on anterior two thirds, fading to smooth and shiny posteriorly; face and sides of head covered with dense, decumbent, somewhat silky pubescence; abundant erect setae on mesosomal and gastral dorsum, tibiae.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.65, HL 0.89, SL 1.29, EL 0.15, WL 1.22, PSL 0.23, PTW 0.12, PPW 0.20, CI 73, SI 197, PSLI 35, PPI 161 (n=4).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.38, HL 1.43, SL 1.23, EL 0.21, WL 1.57, PSL 0.24, PTW 0.23, PPW 0.37, CI 96, SI 89, PSLI 18, PPI 161 (n=4).

Biology. This species occurs in lowland rain forest. A nest was collected in dead wood, in a dead horizontal tree trunk about 1 m above the ground. Minor workers have been collected in beating samples from low vegetation and in a Malaise trap.

Comments. This species and P. ajax are similar. Pheidole ajaxigibba differs in the much more produced mesonotum and the bright yellow color. It is allopatric with P. ajax , the two appearing to be complementary forms on the two sides of Costa Rica.

Etymology: Similar to P. ajax but with more pronounced mesonotum.

Figures

PLATE 51.