Pheidole caulicola

“Braulio Carrillo National Park (500 m): mature wet forest. Canopy of Licania sp. Colony in dead stick. Rara Avis: fresh treefall in primary forest. In 4-mm-diameter dead stick.” (Longino 1997).

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Costa Rica, 500–600 m. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Costa Rica.

Description
A medium-sized yellow species with cornulate humerus in both major and minor. Close to Pheidole arhuaca, but with more prominent humeri, shorter antennal scapes, and narrower, rounder postpetiolar node in both castes as well as smooth central pronotal dorsum in the major. See also the somewhat less similar Pheidole sagana, and further removed, Pheidole chalca, Pheidole chalcoides, Pheidole mincana, Pheidole schmalzi and Pheidole tragica.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.74, HL 0.80, SL 0.40, EL 0.08, PW 0.42. Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.50, SL 0.40, EL 0.06, PW 0.30.

COLOR Major: concolorous medium yellow.

Minor: concolorous dark yellow.



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

Type Locality Information
COSTA RICA: 17 km south of Puerto Viejo, Heredia Province, 10°18'N 84°02'W, 600 m, col. J. T. Longino.

Etymology
L caulicola, stem-dwelling, alluding to the nest site.