Ants of Cerro Platano, Costa Rica
Report by John T. Longino and Michael G. Branstetter, The University of Utah. Student participants: Irene Calderon, Josue Corrales, Krissy Dominguez, Scott Heacox, Josh Kouri, Irene Mata, Mac Pierce, Marianela Solís.
This is a list of the ants of Cerro Platano, Costa Rica, based on Project ADMAC sampling. Cerro Platano is on the Atlantic slope between Cerro Chirripó and Limón, at 1100 m elevation. It is mature cloud forest on a narrow ridge.
Project ADMAC carried out ant sampling at Cerro Platano from 15-19 June 2015. Conditions were extremely wet. A storm system moved in the day after we arrived. It rained heavily for at least part of every day, sometimes the entire day. We were able to do the first 37 miniWinkler samples on 16 June, but then had to wait until 18 June to finish the transects. Thus samples 38-100 were only able to hang for one and a half days. Elevation of collecting sites varied from 980 m to 1140 m, all within a km of each other. The upper elevation was a small local peak, with ridges sloping downwards in all directions. The peak was cloud forest, but the lower forest, around 1000 m, had a somewhat more lowland aspect.
Specimen records have been uploaded to the AntWeb database and are periodically updated. Names in the species list are linked to individual specimen records on AntWeb, from which a link can be followed to the general species page. These specimens function as site-specific vouchers, whose identities may change. The species names in the list are static text on this page. Following the specimen link to AntWeb will allow one to see if the name has changed.
There are at least 161 species. Notable discoveries include:
The third specimen of an unusual Camponotus, currently undescribed and previously known from Braulio Carrillo National Park.
Multiple specimens of the rare Cyphomyrmex snellingi, previously known from two workers from the type locality in Panama, one worker from Braulio Carrillo National Park, and one worker from near Monteverde.
A second worker of Gnamptogenys cuneiforma. This distinctive species was known only from the type specimen, from the Bocas del Toro region of Panama, and described in 1994 by John Lattke.
It was gratifying to discover a second population of Myrmelachista flavoguarea, previously known only from the Peñas Blancas valley east of Monteverde. This species is a specialist plant ant found only in live stems of understory treelets of the genus Guarea (Meliaceae).
An impressive fauna of the mega-genus Pheidole was found: 40 species! Nine of these are undescribed morphospecies, four of which were found for the first time at Cerro Platano.
Ant List
Acanthognathus ocellatus
Acromyrmex coronatus
Acromyrmex volcanus
Acropyga fuhrmanni
Adelomyrmex JTL-032
Adelomyrmex laevigatus
Adelomyrmex silvestrii
Anochetus orchidicola
Apterostigma chocoense
Apterostigma goniodes
Apterostigma JTL-013
Apterostigma pilosum_complex
Azteca xanthochroa
Belonopelta deletrix
Brachymyrmex cavernicola
Brachymyrmex JTL-005
Brachymyrmex JTL-007
Camponotus atriceps
Camponotus cuneidorsus
Camponotus JTL-005
Camponotus JTL-033
Camponotus JTL-068
Camponotus salvini
Carebara urichi
Crematogaster snellingi
Cryptopone gilva
Cylindromyrmex brevitarsus
Cyphomyrmex salvini
Cyphomyrmex snellingi
Discothyrea horni_complex
Discothyrea JTL-005
Discothyrea sexarticulata
Eciton lucanoides
Eurhopalothrix bolaui
Eurhopalothrix gravis
Eurhopalothrix semicapillum
Gnamptogenys bisulca
Gnamptogenys cuneiforma
Gnamptogenys JTL-002
Gnamptogenys JTL-011
Gnamptogenys minuta
Gnamptogenys simulans
Gnamptogenys strigata
Gnamptogenys volcano
Heteroponera panamensis
Hylomyrma dentiloba
Hylomyrma JTL-001
Hypoponera JTL-001
Hypoponera JTL-002
Hypoponera JTL-006
Hypoponera JTL-013
Hypoponera nitidula
Hypoponera opacior
Hypoponera parva
Labidus praedator
Lachnomyrmex scrobiculatus
Linepithema piliferum
Megalomyrmex foreli
Megalomyrmex megadrifti
Myrmelachista
Myrmelachista flavoguarea
Neoponera aenescens
Neoponera apicalis
Neoponera carinulata
Neoponera crenata
Neoponera dismarginata
Neoponera lineaticeps
Neoponera verenae
Nylanderia JTL-001
Nylanderia JTL-013
Nylanderia steinheili
Octostruma excertirugis
Octostruma gymnogon
Odontomachus meinerti
Pachycondyla impressa
Pachycondyla purpurascens
Paraponera clavata
Pheidole alfaroi
Pheidole anastasii
Pheidole arachnion
Pheidole biconstricta
Pheidole boruca
Pheidole cerina
Pheidole citrina
Pheidole debilis
Pheidole diabolus
Pheidole fiorii
Pheidole gymnoceras
Pheidole hasticeps
Pheidole hazenae
Pheidole indagatrix
Pheidole innupta
Pheidole JTL-134
Pheidole JTL-144
Pheidole JTL-210
Pheidole JTL-211
Pheidole JTL-217
Pheidole JTL-241
Pheidole JTL-242
Pheidole JTL-243
Pheidole JTL-244
Pheidole karolmorae
Pheidole mesomontana
Pheidole mooreorum
Pheidole nebulosa
Pheidole nitella
Pheidole olsoni
Pheidole pararugiceps
Pheidole rectispina
Pheidole rectitrudis
Pheidole rhinomontana
Pheidole rogeri
Pheidole scrobifera
Pheidole sebofila
Pheidole sicaria
Pheidole tenuicephala
Pheidole texticeps
Platythyrea prizo
Prionopelta modesta
Proceratium convexiceps
Procryptocerus batesi
Procryptocerus mayri
Pseudoponera stigma
Rasopone becculata
Rogeria inermis
Rogeria leptonana
Simopelta andersoni
Simopelta JTL-003
Simopelta oculata
Simopelta paeminosa
Solenopsis brevicornis
Solenopsis castor
Solenopsis JTL-007
Solenopsis JTL-025
Solenopsis picea
Solenopsis striata
Stenamma expolitico
Stenamma expolitum
Stenamma felixi
Stenamma schmidti
Stenamma tico
Stenamma zelum
Strumigenys biolleyi
Strumigenys brevicornis
Strumigenys excisa
Strumigenys fridericimuelleri
Strumigenys gundlachi
Strumigenys lalassa
Strumigenys longinoi
Strumigenys microthrix
Strumigenys myllorhapha
Strumigenys nevermanni
Strumigenys platyscapa
Strumigenys sevesta
Strumigenys trieces
Tatuidris tatusia
Thaumatomyrmex ferox_complex
Trachymyrmex JTL-003
Typhlomyrmex pusillus
Typhlomyrmex rogenhoferi
Wasmannia auropunctata
Date of this version: 30 July 2017.