Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2017)
Overview:
A cryptic inhabitant of forest floor leaf litter and rotten wood in Costa Rican cloud forests.
Distribution:
(based on species list records)
Neotropical Region: Alajuela,
Americas,
Central America,
Costa Rica,
Guanacaste,
Heredia,
Limón,
Puntarenas,
San José
Distribution Notes:
Costa Rica.
Biology:
This species inhabits mature wet forest in mid-montane to lower cloud forest habitats. It is known from 500–1500 m elevation but is most common around 1100 m. All specimens are from Winkler samples of sifted litter and rotten wood from the forest floor. In the Cordillera de Tilarán and C. de Guanacaste it occurs in upper montane forest but not in the cool, wet ridge-crest cloud forest. On the Barva transect it was rare at 500 m (<1% of miniWinkler samples), common at 1100 m (40% of samples), and absent at 1500 m and 2000 m.
Identification:
Mandible with single tooth row; face with 14–18 specialized spatulate setae (anterior row 8, middle row 4 (2), posterior row 6 (4); ground pilosity of face spatulate, decumbent, weakly differentiated from specialized projecting setae, in discrete patches on posterolateral face, leaving median strip bare, anterior border of ground pilosity gradual, extending a short distance beyond anterior row of specialized projecting setae; posteromedian vertex with shallow depression; pronotum with 1 pair spatulate setae, lacking on mesonotum; pair of spatulate setae on posterior border of petiolar node; first gastral tergite with at most 3 pairs spatulate setae in two longitudinal rows, posterior pair sometimes flanked by outer pair. Similar to
E. circumcapillum,
E. machaquila,
E. megalops,
E. ortizae,
E. oscillum,
E. schmidti.
Comments:
The name is in reference to the partially delimited patches of ground pilosity on the face.
Specimen Habitat Summary
Found most commonly in these habitats: 68 times found in montane wet forest, 19 times found in cloud forest, primary, near ridgetop, 15 times found in ridgetop cloud forest, isolated peak with oak trees, 9 times found in wet forest, 1 times found in Tall evergreen forest, 1 times found in moist forest, 1 times found in ridgetop cloud forest, isolated peak with oak forest, pasture nearby, 2 times found in cloud forest, primary, along steep ridge near peak, 1 times found in Primary wet forest, 1 times found in Cloud forest, ...
Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 55 times Hojarasca, 48 times ex sifted leaf litter, 3 times suelo, 1 times cerca de quebrada, 1 times suelo suspendido, 1 times sifted litter, 1 times sifted leaf litter, 1 times Primary forest. Ex sifted leaf litter., 1 times Mixed primary forest litter & soil, 1 times mixed primary forest litter, 1 times madera podrida, ...
Collected most commonly using these methods: 55 times Mini Winkler, 35 times miniWinkler, 13 times Winkler, 13 times Berlese, 3 times maxiWinkler, 1 times sifted leaf litter.
Elevations: collected from 830 - 1560 meters, 1081 meters average
Type specimens: holotype Eurhopalothrix semicapillum Longino 2013: casent0639343; Paratype: fmnhins0000105086; paratype Eurhopalothrix semicapillum Longino 2013: casent0639342, casent0639374, casent0639375, casent0639376, casent0639377, casent0639378, casent0639379, casent0639380, casent0639381
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