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Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2017)

Distribution:

(based on species list records)
Neotropical Region: Alajuela, Americas, Atlántida, Central America, Chontales, Costa Caribe Norte, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Guatemala, Heredia, Honduras, Limón, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puntarenas, San José, Veracruz

Distribution Notes:

Mexico to Costa Rica. Costa Rica: widespread in wet forest habitats, from sea level to 1000m elevation.

Biology:

This species occurs in mature or second growth wet forest and is most common below 800m elevation. It is a relatively common canopy ant and workers can be found in most fresh treefalls. In spite of its commonness in treefalls, nests are rarely found. Eladio Cruz found a small nest in a live stem of Terminalia amazonica.

Identification:

pittieri complex; anteromedian face lacking erect setae, setae not evenly distributed on face; color varying from orange with partial infuscation to all brown; subpetiolar process sometimes recurved; partially orange and all brown specimens occur together in one collection of treefall strays from Barva transect, Costa Rica; most Costa Rica specimens orange with infuscation; Nicaragua and Honduras specimens all brown. Holotype of pittieri is typical bicolored form.

Notes:

Costa Rican specimens show variation in color. Lowland specimens are smaller and more infuscated (upper images). Upland specimens more robust and more uniformly orange (lower images).

Specimen Habitat Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 4 times found in Port of entry, 2 times found in rainforest edge, 2 times found in forest/pasture edge, montane wet forest, 1 times found in lowland primary rainforest, 2 times found in lowland rainforest, 1 times found in mature rainforest, 1 times found in mature wet forest, 1 times found in moist forest, 1 times found in Pentaclethra, 1 times found in 25yr old second growth and primary forest., ...

Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 3 times in fresh treefall, 2 times beating veg., 1 times strays in felled trees, 2 times in treefall, 1 times on orchid plant, 1 times in canopy Clusia, 1 times ex sifted leaf litter, 1 times ex live stems Terminalia amazonica, 1 times beating vegetation, 1 times with ananas and Dracaena, 1 times Strays., ...

Collected most commonly using these methods: 10 times search, 3 times beating, 1 times Malaise, 1 times miniWinkler, 0 times On hardwood tree, 1 times Fogging.

Elevations: collected from 5 - 1240 meters, 441 meters average

Type specimens: syntype of Nesomyrmex pittieri: casent0908997

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