Pheidole indagarama

This species occurs in lowland rainforest. It is arboreal, known from canopy fogging samples and specimens collected in a fresh treefall. Major workers, minor workers, males, and dealate queens have occurred in these samples.

Identification
Minor: face smooth and shiny; head tapering behind to moderately developed occipital carina; promesonotal groove present, distinctly impressed; promesonotum entirely smooth and shining; katepisternum uniformly foveolate; propodeal spines spiniform, about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; mesosomal and gastral dorsum with abundant flexuous erect setae; tibiae with erect setae; color red brown.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth widely spaced, acicular; scape base terete; face uniformly foveolate, with longitudinal carinulae between eye and frontal carinae; propodeal spines about one fourth length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum very faintly foveolate on anterior half; side of head with abundant erect setae; mesosomal and gastral dorsum with abundant erect setae; tibiae with erect setae; head bright yellow, contrasting with darker red brown mesosoma and gaster.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.62, HL 0.79, SL 1.06, EL 0.17, WL 1.00, PSL 0.07, PTW 0.11, PPW 0.16, CI 78, SI 172, PSLI 11, PPI 143 (n=3).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.23, HL 1.27, SL 1.04, EL 0.20, WL 1.25, PSL 0.09, PTW 0.18, PPW 0.24, CI 97, SI 85, PSLI 7, PPI 136 (n=2).

Measurements, queen: HW 1.48, HL 1.30, SL 0.82, EL 0.37, WL 2.20, PSL 0.19, PTW 0.47, PPW 0.74, CI 114, SI 55, PSLI 13, PPI 157 (n=1).

This species is known only from La Selva Biological Station, from two canopy fogging samples (taken from different trees on different dates) and in a hand collection in a new treefall. It appears to be a local variant of the widespread Pheidole indagatrix, specialized for the high canopy. The only consistent character difference in workers is the color of the major worker. Throughout the range of P. indagatrix, from Guatemala to Panama, major workers are dark red brown. Pheidole indagatrix is very common at ground baits and nests in leaf litter, in rotten wood, and in dead stems in the low arboreal zone. At La Selva Biological Station, P. indagatrix is a common ground ant, while P. indagarama is known only from the canopy. There is a tendency for majors of P. indagatrix to have heavier sculpture on the gaster. Major workers of P. indagarama have the first gastral tergite nearly smooth, with very faint foveolate sculpture on the anterior half.

Two dealate queens and some Pheidole males were found in the same 1 m2 fogging funnel with abundant minor and major workers of P. indagarama. These were assumed to be from one colony, and thus the queens conspecific with the workers. The queens have the mesoscutum and scutellum completely smooth and shining, and the first gastral tergite is almost entirely smooth and shining. Pheidole indagatrix queens from the Cordillera de Tilarán, 85 km west of La Selva, have the mesoscutum and scutellum coarsely sculptured, and the first gastral tergite is strongly shagreened and opaque. An isolated queen from a different fogging sample from La Selva is tentatively identified as P. indagatrix. It is lighter colored but otherwise has the heavier sculpture of the Cordillera de Tilarán specimens.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica.

Nomenclature

 *  indagarama. Pheidole indagarama Longino, 2019: 39, fig. 45 (w.q.) COSTA RICA.

Type Material

 * HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, Heredia: La Selva Biological Station, 10.43215 -84.01511 ±20 m, 50 m, 16-May-2000, secondgrowth rainforest, ex Goethalsia meiantha (ALAS, FOT/51/03) [MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0636566].
 * PARATYPES: major, minor worker, queen: same data as holotype [CAS, JTLC, MCZC, MUCR, USNM].

Etymology
Referring to this species being an arboreal version of P. indagatrix.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Longino J. T. 2019. Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American wet forest. Zootaxa 4599: 1-126