Pheidole renae

Leaf litter in wet forest (Longino 1997).

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Mid-elevation Talamancas and Cordillera de Tilaran (Longino 1997).

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

Nomenclature

 *  renae. Pheidole renae Wilson, 2003: 497, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA.

Description
DIAGNOSIS A distinctive member of the flavens group, separable in the major, by the rugoreticulate occiput and anterior pronotal dorsum, cornulate humerus, steep descent of the posterior mesonotum in profile to the metanotum, and shagreened anterior half of the first gastral tergite. The minor has an obtusely angular humerus in dorsal-oblique view and steep descent of the posterior mesonotal profile. Similar to Pheidole geminata and Pheidole lemnisca.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.12, HL 1.12, SL 0.62, EL 0.18, PW 0.54. Paratype minor: HW 0.58, HL 0.60, SL 0.64, EL 0.12, PW 0.36.

COLOR Major: concolorous dark yellow.

Minor: concolorous medium yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
COSTA RICA: Rio Peñas Blancas, Prov. Alajuela, 10°19'N 84°34'W, 800 m, col. J. T. Longino.

Etymology
In honor of my wife and helper Irene (Renee) Wilson.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
 * Longino J. T. L., and M. G. Branstetter. 2018. The truncated bell: an enigmatic but pervasive elevational diversity pattern in Middle American ants. Ecography 41: 1-12.
 * Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/