Pheidole prostrata

According to Longino (1997), prostrata nests in the low arboreal zone, within a few meters of the ground, in mature wet forest. It apparently does not forage onto the ground. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica (J. T. Longino 1997).

This taxon was described from Costa Rica.

Description
Major: varicolored, with bicolorous head; dorsolateral areas of head anterior to the occiput weakly rugoreticulate, withthe dorsal head surface between the rugoreticular patches longitudinally carinulate; dorsal pilosity of body dense, long, and erect; propodeal spine long and thin.

Minor: mesonotal convexity and postpetiolar node in side view flattened; dorsal pilosity of head and mesosoma sparse, long, and erect.

Similar to Pheidole aculifera (in the fallax group), whose major has a rugoreticulum mesad to the eyes but not just anterior to occiput, with the posterior half of the head foveolate only, and neither carinulate nor foveolate as in prostrata. The propodeal spiracle is very small in the major compared to that of aculifera.

See also the less similar Pheidole boruca, Pheidole variegata (= Pheidole pubiventris) and Pheidole violacea.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.12, HL 1.12, SL 0.80, EL 0.16, PW 0.48. Paratype minor: HW 0.48, HL 0.64, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.32.

COLOR Major: head bicolorous, with clypeus and capsule posterior to anterior margins of eyes light brown, and rest of capsule brownish yellow; gaster and waist light brown; mesosoma brownish yellow; legs yellow.

Minor: head posterior to eyes, as well as postpetiole and gaster, light brown; mesosoma, anterior margin of head capsule, and petiole brownish yellow; appendages yellow.



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

Type Locality Information
COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia, col. Leeanne E. Tennant-Alonso.

Etymology
L prostrata, low, flattened, alluding to the low mesonotal convexity and postpetiolar node of the minor in side view.