Cephalotes serratus

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Cephalotes serratus
Temporal range: Burdigalian, Early Miocene Dominican amber, Dominican Republic
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Cephalotes
Species: C. serratus
Binomial name
Cephalotes serratus
(Vierbergen & Scheven, 1995)

Cephalotes serratus D smnsdo5694.jpg

Specimen Label

Synonyms

One of a number of Cephalotes fossil species that are known from Dominican Amber.

Identification

A member of the emeryi clade characterised, in the worker, by the long, flexuous hairs and by the HBaI ≥ 40.0. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

This taxon was described from Dominican amber, Dominican Republic (Burdigalian, Early Miocene).

Biology

Association with Other Organisms

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
  • This species is a host for the nematode Myrmeconema antiqua (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode unknown; indirect transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the nematode Palaeoallantonema cephalotae (a parasite) in Dominican amber (Poinar, 2011; Quevillon, 2018) (Dominican amber; encounter mode unknown; indirect transmission; transmission outside nest).

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • serratus. †Exocryptocerus serratus Vierbergen & Scheven, 1995: 159, fig. 1 (w.) DOMINICAN AMBER (Dominican Republic, Miocene).
    • Combination in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 522.
    • Status as species: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 522 (redescription).
    • Senior synonym of †elevatus: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 522.
    • Senior synonym of †truncatus: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 522.
  • elevatus. †Exocryptocerus elevatus Vierbergen & Scheven, 1995: 160, fig. 2 (w.) DOMINICAN AMBER (Dominican Republic, Miocene).
    • Junior synonym of †serratus: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 522.
  • truncatus. †Exocryptocerus truncatus Vierbergen & Scheven, 1995: 161, fig. 3 (w.) DOMINIAN AMBER (Dominican Republic, Miocene).
    • Junior synonym of †serratus: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 522.

Type Material

Cephalotes serratus

Exocryptocerus elevatus

Exocryptocerus truncatus

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head subquadrate. Frontal carinae sparsely and variably crenulate, not upturned above the eyes. Vertexal angles with a round or truncate lamella with crenulate border. Vertexal margin concave. Vertex with a pair of small denticles. Mandibles laterally angulate.

Mesosoma. Scapular angles present in some specimens only. Anterior pronotal border straight, protruding anteriorly and passing into the sides with a long, weak concavity. Pronotal sides with a pair of broad, continuous lamella or with a pair of broad, obtuse teeth converging backwards. Promesonotal suture superficially marked or invisible. Propodeal suture marked. Sides of the mesonotum straight or with a pair of round or truncate teeth. Propodeum with differentiate basal and declivous faces; sides of the basal face marked anteriorly and posteriorly by an angle; declivous face of the propodeum converging posteriorly. Some specimens with the whole mesosomal border slightly crenulate.

Petiole. Anterior face truncate, posterior face slightly concave medially. Petiolar sides with a pair of minute denticles or small teeth. Postpetiolar node superficially concave in the middle; anterior half of the postpetiolar sides with a pair of round, variably broad, teeth directed laterally.

Gaster suboval, with a pair of variably developed anterolateral lamellae or with small lobes.

Fore coxae angulate. Mid and hind femora without angle or denticles. Mid and hind basitarsi flattened and with broad base.

Sculpture. Head dorsum minutely punctate and covered with foveae variably clumped. Ventral face of the head superficially punctate-foveolate with superimposed irregular, longitudinal rugosities. Mesosoma minutely punctate and with dense, slightly irregular, foveae; this sculpture on the propodeum is superimposed to longitudinal, irregular rugosites. Peduncular segments with the same type of sculpture as on the propodeum but more superficial. Gaster reticulate; the reticulation more superficial on the center of the first gastral sternite. Legs strongly reticulate and with few, superficial, longitudinal rugosities.

Pilosity. Each fovea with a thin, pointed, flexuous hair of variable size; similar hairs but denser on the legs, on the gaster, and on the crenulation of the frontal carinae.

Colour. Some specimens have frontal carinae, vertexal angles, pronotal sides and gastral lamellae ferruginous and semitransparent while, in others, these parts are completely black.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 3.82-6.00; HL 0.96-1.36; HW 1.24-1.60; EL 0.24-0.28; PW 1.12-1.48; PeW 0.50; PpW 0.40-0.60; HBaL 0.42-0.56; HBaW 0.16-0.22; CI 123.1-129.2; PI 108.1-118.5; PPeI 246.7-306.4; PPpI 217.6-308.3; HBaI 40.0-42.3.

References

  • de Andrade, M. L.; Baroni Urbani, C. 1999. Diversity and adaptation in the ant genus Cephalotes, past and present. Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde Series B (Geolgie and Palaontologie). 271:1-889. (page 522, Combination in Cephalotes and senior synonym of elevatus and truncatus)
  • Vierbergen, G.; Scheven, J. 1995. Nine new species and a new genus of Dominican amber ants of the tribe (Cephalotini Hymenoptera: Formicidae) [sic]. Creat. Res. Soc. Q. 32: 158-170 (page 159, fig. 1 worker described)