Species: Pachycondyla foetida

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2013)

Distribution:

Costa Rica to Bolivia. Costa Rica: known from both wet and dry forest, in Atlantic and northern Pacific lowlands (Santa Rosa, road from PanAmerican Highway to Monteverde, Tortuguero, La Selva Biological Station, 500m in Braulio Carrillo National Park south of La Selva).

Biology:

Natural History:

This large arboreal ant prefers open sunny areas. I have collected workers in Santa Rosa National Park, in scrubby vegetation along the road to Monteverde, in open pasture areas around Rara Avis, and in isolated trees in young secondgrowth areas of La Selva Biological Station. I observed one nest in a recently felled Hieronyma oblonga tree. The tree was in a pasture in an area of active clearing of rainforest, at 500m elevation just south of La Selva. A small nest entrance hole, little larger than a worker, lead to a large cavity in a knot, where there were abundant workers.

This species is similar to villosa in morphology and size. It is generally sympatric with villosa, but villosa is more abundant and has a broader habitat range, occurring abundantly in dry forest, in disturbed habitats, and in mature rainforest.

References:

Linneus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio 10.1:823 pp. Holmiae.

Taxon Page Author History

Specimen Data Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 6 times found in montane wet forest, 1 times found in Trampa 3, 2 times found in CCL 840M, 1 times found in wet forest, 1 times found in CC1500m., 1 times found in CES 350, 1 times found in La Selva, 1 times found in lowland rainforest, 1 times found in rainforest canopy, 1 times found in Trampa #3

Collected most commonly using these methods or in the following microhabitats: 9 times Malaise, 5 times Fogging, 3 times search, 1 times Sweeping

Elevations: collected from 10 - 500 meters, 206 meters average

2 Specimens Imaged | View All 28 Specimens for this species

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CASENT0249144

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