Wheeler (1934) described fulvus and a subspecies sublucidus from three collections from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Stefan Cover (pers. comm.) examined the types of both and can find no significant differences; the three collections are almost certainly from the same population. Cover also compared the fulvus types to the images on this page, and confirmed their gross similarity.
Natural History:
Wheeler reported that his three collections were all from "flat carton sheds with coccids on the bark of living trees." Ward's collection was of four workers on low vegetation, 0.5-2m above the ground. Longino's collection was from a carton nest under a live leaf of Cardulovica (Cyclanthacaceae), at the base of the blade and sheathing the upper portion of the petiole.
Panama, Costa Rica. In Costa Rica it is known from two collections, one from Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula, and one from Tortuguero National Park in the Atlantic lowlands.
Taxonomic history
Combination in Technomyrmex: Shattuck, 1992c PDF: 161.Senior synonym of Technomyrmex fulvus sublucidum: Bolton, 2007b PDF: 120.(Fig. 2)
Tapinoma fulvum Wheeler , W. M. 1934:184 (w).
Tapinoma fulvum sublucidum Wheeler , W. M. 1934:185. Synonymy in Bolton, 2007.
Technomyrmex fulvum : Shattuck 1992a:161.
Technomyrmex fulvum sublucidum : Shattuck 1992a:161.
This was the only extant native species of Technomyrmex in the New World known previously from Panama (Shattuck 1992a; Bolton 1995) and Costa Rica (Bolton 2007). Its uniform yellow body color immediately distinguishes it from any other native or tramp species that are likely to be encountered in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. The Choco record is the first for Colombia and South America for the genus and species.
Material examined: 1 worker. COLOMBIA . Choco . La Balsa. Bajo Atrato . 07°02'26''N77°20'16''W . mar-1994 . Mendoza, L. [ ICN ] No. 057 .
