Pheidole alfaroi

Inhabits moist forest. In Costa Rica, nests under epiphytes (innupta); in Colombia, under rocks. Obviously, many more nest site data are needed to establish the preferred nest sites of alfaroi and possible sibling species. Males and winged queens were found at El Volcán Chiriquí, Panama, on 24 June and a male near Mosquera, Colombia, on 30 June. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Uplands of Costa Rica (1000–1600 m), Panama (El Volcán Chiriquí, 1150 m), and Colombia (Mosquera, Cundinamarca, 1800–2000 m). (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Costa Rica.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A member of the diligens group closest to the Costa Rican Pheidole diana but distinguished from it and other members of the group by the following combination of traits.

Major: in side view propodeal spine reduced to a denticle (but in innupta syntype reduced to an obtuse angle; see illustration); in dorsal-oblique view, promesonotum weakly bilobate and humerus subangulate; promesonotal dorsum and all of propodeum “striped” with parallel carinulae.

Minor: circular carinulae around antennal fossae reach all the way to the eye and are succeeded by other circular, “wraparound” carinulae that continue to the sides of the head; most of promesonotal dorsum and all of propodeum carinulate.

The types of alfaroi and Pheidole innupta are virtually identical except for color (see below) and possibly a small difference in the propodeal angle (see illustration), and I have interpreted them as no more than color forms of the same species in the upland area around La Palma and Vara Blanca. Longino (1997). considers them sibling species, noting that innupta is “always black and nests under epiphytes,” whereas the types of alfaroi are light colored and were found in rotting wood. If subsequent field research upholds these differences, Longino’s interpretation is probably correct, and the nomenclature can be easily adjusted. Series from upland Panama and Colombia placed by me in alfaroi are intermediate in color: light to medium reddish brown.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major of alfaroi: HW 1.42, HL 1.52, SL 1.04, EL 0.20, PW 0.74. Lectotype major of innupta: HW 1.44, HL 1.46, SL 1.06, EL 0.22, PW 0.72. Paralectotype minor of alfaroi: HW 0.62, HL 0.74, SL 0.86, EL 0.12, PW 0.44. Paralectotype minor of innupta: HW 0.62, HL 0.78, SL 0.92, EL 0.12, PW 0.44.

COLOR Major of alfaroi: concolorous light reddish yellow.

Major of innupta: body medium brown, appendages light brown.

Minor of alfaroi: concolorous clear yellow.

Minor of innupta: medium brown, appendages light brown.



'''Figure. Upper: major. Lower: minor. COSTA RICA: Vara Blanca (lectotype and paralectotype of junior synonym P. innupta Menozzi). The second, upper outline in the figure of the major propodeum is of the alfaroi lectotype major. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
La Palma, near Bajo la Hondura, Costa Rica, 1500 m. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
Eponymous. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Emery, C. 1896g. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica, XVII–XXV. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 28: 33–107.

Text and images from this publication used by permission of the author.