Pheidole onyx

Nests under epiphytes in the canopy of natural wet forest (Longino 1997).

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica (Longino 1997).

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

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  onyx. Pheidole onyx Wilson, 2003: 479, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA.

Description
DIAGNOSIS A medium-sized, yellow member of the flavens group whose major is distinguished by slightly backward curving propodeal spines, especially in dorsal-oblique view; all of the dorsal surface of the head up to the occipital border, and not including the mid-clypeus and frontal triangle, covered by longitudinal carinulae; and pronotal humerus subangulate.

Major and minor: scapes exceptionally long for a flavens-group species, placing onyx intermediate to the punctatissima group. Similar to citrina, but the major of onyx has a less curved propodeal spine, far more carinulation on the dorsal head surface, and shorter scapes, among other differences. See also the less similar grex and humida.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.80, HL 0.74, SL 0.58, EL 0.10, PW 0.38. Paratype minor: HW 0.46, HL 0.52, SL 0.54, EL 0.06, PW 0.30.

COLOR Major and minor: concolorous medium yellow.



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

Type Material
COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia, col. J. T. Longino.

Etymology
Gr onyx, a yellowish gem stone, alluding to the color of the workers.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.