Pheidole carapuna

In Costa Rica, Longino (1997) found carapuna in lowland rainforest, where it nests and forages on and near the forest floor. In Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park, he discovered a nest under the bark of a rotten log, and elsewhere observed workers recruiting at night to a dead tabanid fly on a vertical tree trunk close to the ground. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Amazonian Brazil and Peru north to Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the southern Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica and Honduras. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  carapuna. Pheidole (Pheidole) carapuna Mann, 1916: 432, pl. 3, fig. 22 (s.w.q.) BRAZIL. Senior synonym of chaquimayensis: Wilson, 2003: 672.
 * chaquimayensis. Pheidole carapuna var. chaquimayensis Wheeler, W.M. 1925a: 20 (s.m.) PERU. Junior synonym of carapuna: Wilson, 2003: 672.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS A small, brownish red (major) to yellow (minor) species belonging to a group of ambiguous species composing the "carapuna complex" (Pheidole boltoni, Pheidole carapuna, Pheidole cornicula, Pheidole cuprina, Pheidole eriophora, Pheidole jivaro, Pheidole manuana and Pheidole tristicula). All are relatively small in size, with the major possessing a reduced mesonotal convexity, as well as cephalic sculpturing that consists entirely of longitudinal carinulae extending to or almost to the occipital border seen in full-face view. All also have a minor with a broad, concave occiput, which lacks a collar.

Among these species, P. carapuna is close to tristicula (q.v.), distinguished in the major by its darker color, reduced pronotal carinulae and absence of carinulae in the posteriormost lateral quarters of the dorsal head surface seen in full-face view.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.08, HL 1.28, SL 0.60, EL 0.14, PW 0.60. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.48, HL 0.52, SL 0.44, EL 0.08, PW 0.32.

COLOR Major: body and head a rich medium brownish red, gaster light brown.

Minor: concolorous light yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
BRAZIL: Madeira-Mamon~ rail track; km 284, Rondonia, col. William M. Mann. (Wilson, 2003)

Etymology
Unknown.

Additional References
Mann, W. M. 1916. The Stanford Expedition to Brazil, 1911, John C. Branner, Director: The ants of Brazil. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 60: 399–490.

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