Species: Monomorium ebeninum   Forel, 1891 

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2021)

Distribution:

Distribution Notes:

Mexico south to Costa Rica, many Caribbean islands. Uncertain whether native in Costa Rica.

Biology:

In Costa Rica this is a moderately common species in disturbed areas in the seasonally dry northwest portion of the country. I have collected it in Santa Rosa National Park, where I observed workers recruiting to a dead grasshopper on an asphalt road. I also have records from Curu on the Nicoya Peninsula and La Pita on the road from the PanAmerican highway to Monteverde. I have never found a nest of the species.

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Specimen Habitat Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 7 times found in tropical dry forest, 5 times found in dry forest, 3 times found in disturbed semi-moist woodland, 2 times found in littoral scrub, 1 times found in weedy veg., 1 times found in scrubby 2nd growth, 2 times found in roadside vegetation, 1 times found in secondary broadleaf forest, 3 times found in mature wet forest, 2 times found in Port of entry, ...

Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 8 times sweeping, 13 times ex sifted leaf litter, 8 times at bait, 1 times on treetrunk, 3 times beating vegetation, 3 times on tree trunk, 1 times nest under bark of pine tree, 2 times 3 dog site, 1 times Sweep sample of roadside vegetation., 2 times sifted litter, 1 times hollow under limestone rock, ...

Collected most commonly using these methods: 8 times sweeping, 7 times search, 7 times hand collecting, 5 times Winkler, 5 times baiting, 5 times hand collection, 3 times maxiWinkler, 4 times MiniWinkler, 3 times bait, 3 times direct collection, 3 times at bait, ...

Elevations: collected from 2 - 1560 meters, 257 meters average

Collect Date Range: collected between 1878-10-14 and 2016-07-16

Type specimens: Lectotype of Monomorium ebeninum: casent0908695; paralectotype of Monomorium ebeninum: casent0908696