Species: Procryptocerus belti

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2013)

Distribution:

Mexico to Panama, Ecuador. Costa Rica: abundant in the lowlands of the Pacific side, south of Puntarenas, rare elsewhere.

Biology:

Natural History:

Procryptocerus belti has been collected in both canopy and understory of primary rainforest, in second growth vegetation, in beach-edge vegetation, and in mangroves. Most collections are of foraging workers from low vegetation, but four nest series were collected from narrow-guage dead stems, at least one of which was detached and lodged in low vegetation. Collections have been made in the canopies of tall trees, including Brosimum, Sloanea, Ficus, and Leuhea. Specimens have been found in the feces of Cyclopes (silky anteater).

In Costa Rica, this species prefers seasonally dry habitats. It is very abundant in the lowlands of the Pacific side, south of Puntarenas, but is rare elsewhere. At La Selva Biological Station, in the wet Atlantic lowlands, it is a very rare element of the ant fauna, occurring sparsely in the tops of canopy trees.

Notes:

Procryptocerus belti is very similar to P. hirsutus. Procryptocerus hirsutus occurs in lowland Amazonia, the Guyanas, and Trinidad, and is either parapatric or allopatric with P. belti. Procryptocerus hirsutus is larger (HW 1.0-1.3mm [n=7] for P. hirsutus versus 0.88-0.99mm [mean=0.93, n=12] for P. belti). The mesonotum is longitudinally rugose in P. hirsutus, reticulate rugose in P. belti figure) (with the exception of a specimen from Bugaba, Panama). The outer surface of the metatibia is coarsely rugose in P. hirsutus, relatively smooth in P. belti. The first gastral tergite is always uniformly punctate in P. belti, but in P. hirsutus it is variable, ranging from densely punctate to nearly smooth.

See P. pictipes for a discussion of character variation and possible phylogenetic relationships among P. belti, P. hirsutus, P. convexus, and P. pictipes.

Taxon Page Author History

Specimen Data Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 11 times found in montane wet forest, 2 times found in CC 1300 m., 1 times found in tropical rainforest, 2 times found in tropical wet forest, 2 times found in wet forest, 2 times found in lowland wet forest, 2 times found in rainforest edge, 1 times found in SURA 850M, 1 times found in CCL 400 m, 1 times found in Ecotone between pastures and low vegetation, mature wet forest, ...

Collected most commonly using these methods or in the following microhabitats: 9 times Malaise, 8 times fogging, 8 times search, 3 times beating, 2 times Sweeping, 1 times flight intercept trap, 1 times miniWinkler

Elevations: collected from 10 - 600 meters, 221 meters average

2 Specimens Imaged | View All 107 Specimens for this species

CASENT0217915

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CASENT0900227

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