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Species: Pheidole cerina

Name Status: Valid Name

Taxonomic Hierarchy:

Subfamily: Myrmicinae Genus: Pheidole

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2013)

Pheidole cerina Wilson, 2003A: 395, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA. AntCat AntWiki

Distribution:

Costa Rica: mid-elevation Atlantic slope.

Biology:

Natural History:

This species occurs in mature wet forest, nests in the soil or under stones, and forages in or on forest floor leaf litter.

Taxon Page Author History

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Wilson, E. O.:
etymology L cerina , wax-colored, yellowish, referring to the color.
Diagnosis a relatively large species for the flavens group, with yellow to brown major and minor. Similar to amabilis of Costa Rica but differing in the major in the reduced propodeal spines, which point posteriorly (versus vertically in amabilis ); in the well-developed mesonotal convexity, in the longer cephalic carinulae; in the more extensive carinulae of the pronotal dorsum; and in much longer antennal scapes of the minor (SL/HW 1.14, versus 1.0 in amabilis ). P. cerina , in the major mesonotal convexity and longer minor scapes, appears intermediate between the flavens and punctatissima groups.
See also the less similar grex , mixteca , and morelosana .
Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.14, HL 1.74, SL 0.64, EL 0.16, PW 0.56. Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.50, SL 0.50, EL 0.06, PW 0.30.
Color Major: body, mandibles, and antennae concolorous reddish yellow, legs medium yellow.
Minor: concolorous light-medium yellow. I have also seen two dark series from the type locality, with medium brown bodies and yellow appendages.
Range Known only from the type locality.
Biology Three series for which data are available come from litter samples taken in wet forest.
figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: Rio Penas Blancas, Alajuela, lO0!0^ 84AÃ‚Â°43 W, 800 m (J. T. Longino). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Specimen Data Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 19 times found in mature wet forest, 21 times found in montane wet forest, 4 times found in wet forest

Collected most commonly using these methods or in the following microhabitats: 20 times miniWinkler, 19 times Mini Winkler, 3 times Winkler, 1 times Search, 2 times Malaise, 1 times baiting

Elevations: collected from 500 - 1100 meters, 583 meters average