Pheidole rhinomontana, Longino, J. T., 2009

Longino, J. T., 2009, Additions to the taxonomy of New World Pheidole (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 2181, pp. 1-90 : 71-74

publication ID

22820

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F84E23F9-9FE9-4728-B51D-3078D6EDB7E2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6222886

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D033ADBA-F38C-45C1-9443-F998D2CBD4E8

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:D033ADBA-F38C-45C1-9443-F998D2CBD4E8

treatment provided by

Christiana

scientific name

Pheidole rhinomontana
status

new species

Pheidole rhinomontana   HNS new species

Figure 20

Pheidole rhinoceros   HNS (part): Wilson, 2003:738, fig. [misidentification].

Holotype major worker. Costa Rica, Alajuela: Penas Blancas Valley, Guindon cabin, 10.30000°N 84.70000°W, ±2000m, 940m, 5 Jul 1984 (J. Longino#5Jul84/0854) [ INBC, unique specimen identifier CASENT0610082].

Paratypes: major and minor workers. Same data as holotype [ BMNH, CAS, FMNH, INBC, LACM, MCZ, MHNG, MIZA, MZSP, UCD, ICN, USNM].

Geographic Range

Costa Rica, Panama.

Diagnosis

With the habitus and morphometric profile of P. rhinoceros   HNS . Minor worker: katepisternum largely foveolate versus smooth and shining ( rhinoceros   HNS ). Major worker: basal one third to one half of mandible coarsely striate versus largely smooth and shining; clypeus usually with longitudinal to oblique rugulae lateral to medial horn versus clypeus completely smooth and shining lateral to medial horn ( rhinoceros   HNS ).

Description of minor worker

Measurements (paratype): HL 0.60, HW 0.56, HLA 0.21, SL 0.55, EL 0.11, ML 0.77, PSL 0.03, PMG 0.00, SPL 0.03, PTW 0.08, PPW 0.14, CI 94, SI 97, PSLI 5, PMGI 0, SPLI 5, PPI 175.

Measurements (n=9): HL 0.54-0.65, HW 0.50-0.60, SL 0.50-0.59, CI 90-94, SI 97-105.

Mandible smooth and shining; clypeus smooth and shining with faint medial longitudinal carina; face largely smooth and shining with variable degree of concentric carinulae around antennal insertion and faint foveolate sculpture between frontal carinae and compound eye; margin of vertex rounded with slight median impression; occipital carina narrow, not or barely visible in full face view; scape with abundant erect setae, longest about as long as maximum width of scape; promesonotal groove absent; propodeal spines present; pronotum smooth and shiny dorsally and laterally, with foveolae on humerus and strip of foveolae and transverse carinulae anterodorsally; katepisternum largely to entirely foveolate; sides and dorsum of propodeum foveolate; abundant setae on promesonotal dorsum; dorsal (outer) margin of hind tibia with abundant suberect setae, longest about as long as maximum width of tibia; first gastral tergum smooth and shining; gastral dorsum with abundant erect setae; color red brown.

Description of major worker

Measurements (holotype): HL 1.55, HW 1.32, HLA 0.40, SL 0.64, EL 0.17, ML 1.33, PSL 0.09, PMG 0.01, SPL 0.05, PTW 0.21, PPW 0.38, IHT 0.21, OHT 0.58, CI 85, SI 48, PSLI 6, PMGI 1, SPLI 3, PPI 180, HTI 35.

Measurements (n=10): HL 1.29-1.74, HW 1.12-1.44, SL 0.60-0.71, CI 83-87, SI 48-53.

Mandible with coarse longitudinal rugae on basal one third to one half, remaining surface smooth; medial clypeus forming a differentiated, somewhat concave surface, sharply delimited by strong oblique carinae extending from anterior apices of frontal carinae; clypeus obsolete or absent lateral to these carinae, not differentiated from coarsely rugose anterior head capsule; medial clypeus with a pronounced acute laminar horn; usually with several weak longitudinal to oblique carinulae on the clypeal surface lateral to horn; anterior clypeal margin flat to weakly emarginate; anterolateral head capsule with longitudinal rugae, grading to reticulate rugae over foveolae between antennal insertion and compound eye, grading to faint foveolate sculpture on scrobal area beneath scapes, grading to smooth and shining on vertex lobes; area between frontal carinae with longitudinal carinulae; head with abundant suberect setae projecting from sides of head in face view; scape smooth and shining, terete at base, with abundant erect setae about as long as maximum width of scape; hypostomal margin flat; median tooth absent; inner hypostomal teeth pointed, stout, closer to midline than to outer hypostomal teeth; promesonotal groove absent; propodeal spines present; mesosoma largely smooth and shining, with faint transverse etchings on pronotum, faint foveolate sculpture on dorsal face of propodeum; dorsal (outer) margin of hind tibia with abundant erect setae, these not quite as long as maximum width of tibia; pilosity abundant on mesosomal dorsum; postpetiolar dorsum smooth and shining, in dorsal view broader than long, weakly conulate; first gastral tergite smooth and shining, with abundant erect setae; color red brown.

Biology

This species inhabits mature montane wet forest habitats, from 500-1600m elevation. Workers are frequently visitors at baits on the ground and are common in Winkler samples of sifted leaf litter. Nests are in or under dead wood on the ground, often in shallow chambers near the surface or under loose bark. Incipient colonies with single queens are often encountered, and colonies can become quite populous.

Etymology

The name is in reference to this species being a montane version of P. rhinoceros   HNS .

Comments

Wilson (2003) discussed character variation in a broadly-defined P. rhinoceros   HNS . New evidence supports the existence of two sharply parapatric species that separate by elevation. The morphological differences outlined in the Diagnosis are subtle but consistent. There are now two known areas where the two species co-occur in the same forest. On the Atlantic slope of the Cordillera de Tilaran in Costa Rica, both species were collected at a single bait line at the Poco Sol field station at the lower end of the Penas Blancas valley, at 800m elevation. At Refugio Eladio, further up the valley but at about the same elevation, extensive collections have yielded only P. rhinomontana   HNS . In Monteverde, in the cloudforest-covered ridges that rise to 1800m at the head of the valley, only P. rhinomontana   HNS occurs. On the Barva Transect on the Atlantic slope of the Cordillera Volcanica Central, P. rhinoceros   HNS is common from La Selva Biological Station at 50m to the El Ceibo Station at 500m. Both species co-occur at this elevation. At the 1070m station and above only P. rhinomontana   HNS occurs. This pattern may also occur as far north as Honduras and south into Panama. Although specimen data were not captured, a visit to the MCZ revealed Honduras specimens of P. rhinoceros   HNS from a 650m elevation site and Honduras specimens of P. rhinomontana   HNS from a 1040m elevation site. In Panama, the type specimens of P. rhinoceros   HNS are from Bugaba, below 500m elevation, while the MCZ specimens of P. rhinomontanus   HNS examined by Wilson were from Volcan Chiriqui, 900m, and Cerro Campana, 800-950m.

Additional material examined

COSTA RICA: Alajuela, Casa Eladio, Rio Penas Blancas, 10°19'N, 84°43'W, 800m (J. Longino); Poco Sol, 10°20'44"N, 84°40'28"W, 800m (J. Longino); Guanacaste, 3km N Santa Elena, 10°20'N, 84°50'W, 1500m (R. Burtoft); Heredia, 16km SSW Pto. Viejo, 10°19'03"N, 84°02'56"W, 500m (TEAM); 16km N Vol. Barba, 10°16'N, 84°05'W, 1020m (J. Longino); 17km N Vol. Barba, 10°17'N, 84°05'W, 800m (J. Longino); 10km SE La Virgen, 10°20'N, 84°05'W, 500m (August Longino and Lisa Schonberg); 16km SSE La Virgen, 10°16'N, 84°05'W, 1100m (J. Longino) Vara Blanca, 10km NE Vara Blanca, 10°14'00"N, 84°05'00"W, 1500m (J. Longino); Puntarenas, Monteverde, 10°18'N, 84°48'W, 1500m (J. Longino); Wilson Botanical Garden, 4km S San Vito, 8°47'N, 82°58'W, 1200m (L&A Alonso).

INBC

Costa Rica, Santo Domingo de Heredia, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio)

BMNH

United Kingdom, London, The Natural History Museum [formerly British Museum (Natural History)]

CAS

USA, California, San Francisco, California Academy of Sciences

FMNH

USA, Illinois, Chicago, Field Museum of Natural History (also used by Finnish Museum of Natural History)

LACM

USA, California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History

MCZ

USA, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology

MHNG

Switzerland, Geneva, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

MIZA

Venezuela, Maracay, Museuo del Instituto de Zoologia Agricola

MZSP

Brazil, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo

UCD

USA, California, Davis, University of California, R.M. Bohart Museum of Entomology

ICN

Colombia, Bogota, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Insituto de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad Nacional

USNM

USA, Washington D.C., National Museum of Natural History, [formerly, United States National Museum]

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Pheidole

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