Species: Solenopsis terricola

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2013)

Distribution:

Costa Rica: mostly Atlantic slope wet to moist forest, to 1100m elevation; also in moist forest on Pacific slope near Monteverde, 1100m elevation.

Biology:

Natural History:

This distinctive species occurs in wet to moist forest habitats, in leaf litter on the ground. It is known almost exclusively from Winkler and Berlese samples of forest floor leaf litter. In the Atlantic lowlands it occurs in a high proportion of Winkler samples. I have not collected it in the Pacific lowlands. Chris Thompson carried out a study at La Selva Biological Station, surveying ants nests inhabiting dead wood and dead sticks in the leaf litter. He found two nests of this species, including one with alate queens.

Notes:

These may be related to two additional species at La Selva, united by the shape of the head, clypeus, and mandibles; the large multifaceted eyes; and the sparse long setae projecting from the vertex and sides of head. The additional species are JTL-008 and JTL-019. JTL-019 differs in lacking the punctate sculpture and being clear yellow orange to weakly bicolored. JTL-008 is more strongly bicolored and lacks clypeal teeth or ventral postpetiolar tooth. The queen has dense short longitudinal striae around the posterior border of the eye, a character I have not seen in other species.

References:

Menozzi, C. 1931. Contribuzione alla conoscenza del "microgenton" di Costa Rica. III. Hymenoptera - Formicidae. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 25:259-274.

Taxon Page Author History

Specimen Data Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 436 times found in mature wet forest, 144 times found in montane wet forest, 38 times found in lowland rainforest, 17 times found in wet forest, 23 times found in tropical rainforest, 3 times found in SSA, 1 times found in Parc. sucesionales, 7 times found in wet cloud forest, 1 times found in Puesto 10, 33g.,10m., 2 times found in CCL, ...

Collected most commonly using these methods or in the following microhabitats: 461 times miniwinkler, 102 times Winkler, 114 times Mini Winkler, 73 times Berlese, 3 times Search & Berles, 2 times Search, 2 times Pitfall, 2 times Sweeping, 1 times Berlese montana hanwood forest, 1 times flight intercept trap, 1 times Foggin, ...

Elevations: collected from 15 - 1530 meters, 334 meters average

1 Specimens Imaged | View All 910 Specimens for this species

CASENT0103222

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