Cephalotes columbicus

Specimens have been collected from a variety of forest and disturbed habitats, including a strange record of a column of these ants crossing a trail on a steep grassy slope. Little else is known about the biology of .

Identification
A member of the pusillus clade characterised in the worker and soldier by the more regular body foveae and by the broad, transparent, gastral lamellae. The worker, soldier, gyne and male of C. columbicus can be distinguished from those of Cephalotes pusillus by the shallower, more rounded foveae. In addition columbicus differs from pusillus in the worker and in the soldier by the broader lamellae of the vertex and of the gaster, in the gyne by the broader head and higher PPeI and, in the male, by higher CI and by the scutellum not strongly narrowing posteriorly. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Distribution
Colombia and Venezuela

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia.

Nomenclature

 *  columbicus. Cryptocerus pusillus var. columbica Forel, 1912e: 201 (s.w.) COLOMBIA. De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 167 (q.m.). Combination in Paracryptocerus: Kempf, 1951: 183; in Zacryptocerus: Brandão, 1991: 388; in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 163. Raised to species: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 163.

Worker
Kempf (1951) - Length 5.5 mm. Median head length 1 .3 6 mm; interocular width 1.68 mm; Weber's length of thorax 1.58 mm. Black; the following dark reddish brown: frontal carinae, apical three tarsal segments, apex of posterior epinotal spines; anterolateral lamellate border of gaster. Very similar to the typical pusillus, from which it differs by the following peculiarities:

Scales on upper surface of head minute to obsolete, especially on the anterior half. Foveolae limited to narrow band in front of the occipital border. Outer face of fore coxae distinctly striated. Foveolae on upper surface of thorax well separated by finely reticulate-punctate, flat, opaque interstices. First pronotal tooth spine-like and prominent, the second tooth rather obsolete. First epinotal tooth comparatively small, the posterior spine very long and slender; as measured from the posterior rim of the spiracle to the tip, longer than 1/3 of the maximum length of the thorax. Petiole without a lateral tooth. Scales of gaster minute, obsolete abovediscad. Integument opaque.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 5.18-5.76; HL 1.22-1.36; HW 1.68-1.88; EL 0.36-0.39; PW 1.32-1.54; PeW 0.51-0.60; PpW 0.58-0.68; HBaL 0.62-0.67; HBaW 0.13-0.16; CI 137.7-138.2; PI 122.1-127.3; PPeI 256.7-258.8; PPpI 226.5-227.6; HBal 21.0-23.9.

Solider
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head broader than long and gently convex dorsally. Frontal carinae convex, converging posteriorly and terminating over the postcrior border of the eyes. Vertexal angles truncate. Vertex with a pair of median, broad denticles. Mandibles broad, with the sides neither angulate nor denticulate.

Mesosoma. Scapular angles well visible in dorsal view. Humeral angles with a triangular tooth followed by another shorter and round denticle; pronotum converging posteriorly. Pronotal carina broadly interrupted in the middle. Pro meso notal suture impressed. Sides of the mesonotum with a pair of small, pointed denticles. Propodeal suture deeply impressed. Propodeum with clearly differentiate basal and declivous faces; basal face with two pairs of lateral projections, the anterior one, minutely denticulate, pointed or obtuse, the posterior pair long, spiniform, thick and pointed.

Petiole with the anterior face truncate; its sides unarmed or with a pair of minute denticles. Postpetiole broader than the petiole and with convex dorsum; postpetiolar sides with a pair of round or subpointed teeth, originating on the anterior face and pointing outwards.

Gaster oval, with a broad lamella not surpassing the stigma posteriorly.

Legs. Fore coxae protruding anteriorly. Mid and hind femora dorsally neither angulate nor denticulate. Mid and hind basitarsi not flat and without broad base.

Sculpture. Head deeply and irregularly foveolate; the foveae denser and deeper on the vertexal angles and absent on the frontal carinae. A microscopic reticulation fills the interfoveal spaces and the frontal carinae. Ventral face of the head, propleurae and pronotum similarly sculptured but the foveae are denser, larger and deeper. Mesonotum sculptured as the vertexal angles. Basal face of the propodeum with dense, almost contiguous, round and oval foveae superimposed by reticulation. Declivous face of the propodeum simply reticulate and with longitudinal rugosities on the sides. Meso- and metapleurae reticulate and with sparse, superficial, oval foveae. Pedicel reticulate and with dense, superficial, irregular foveae. Gaster and legs reticulate. Outer face of the fore coxae with superficial longitudinal rugosities on the posterior half. Anterior fourth of the first gastral tergite with superficial, oval foveae. Centre of the posterior half of the first gastral sternite shining. Outer face of tibiae irregularly foveolate.

Pilosity. Each fovea bears a minute appressed hair. Other body surface without foveae with appressed, sparse, thin, short hairs. Posterior border of the gastral segments and legs with sparse clavate hairs. Gastral sternites with suberect, long, pointed hairs.

Colour. Black. Frontal carinae and gastral lamellae ferrugineous, tarsomeres darker.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 6.88-7.28; HL 1.72-1.80; HW 2.32-2.40; EL 0.44-0.45; PW 2.08-2.10; PeW 0.68-0.66; PpW 0.73-0.76; HBaL 0.68-0.72; HBaW 0.18-0.19; CI 133.3-134.9; PI 111.5-114.3; PPeI 305.9-318.2; PPpI 276.3-284.9; HBal 26.4-26.5.

Queen
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head strongly convex dorsally. Frontal carinae convex anteriorly; their sides converging in front of and ending before the posterior border of the eyes. Vertexal angles nearly round. Vertex with a pair of low median swellings. Mandibles as in the soldier.

Mesosoma. Humeral angles with a pointed anterior tooth. Pronotal carina narrow, superficially interrupt in the middle, poorly marked on the sides. Mesonotum and scutellum flat. Lower mesopleura with a broad, round denticle. Basal face of propodeum with a pair of thick teeth with round or pointed apex and slightly diverging; declivous face, posteriorly, with converging sides.

Petiole with the anterior face oblique, posterior face short and declivous posteriorly; petiolar sides convex, unarmed or armed with a pair of minute denticles. Postpetiole broadly convex; anterior sides of the postpetiole with a broad, obtuse expansions or unarmed.

Gaster protruding anteriorly and with a margination not surpassing the stigma posteriorly.

Legs. Fore coxae with an anterior lobe. Mid and hind femora not angulate. Mid and hind basitarsi not flat and not broad at the base.

Sculpture. Head covered with small foveae sometimes as broad as their interspaces, denser on the vertexal angles and minutely reticulate. Frontal carinae minutely reticulate and without foveae. Ventral part of the head superficially shining and with dense, deep foveae. Pronotum and propleurae reticulate and with dense, deep foveae. Upper and anterior half of the lower mesopleurae, dorsal third of the metapleurae, basal face of the propodeum, posterior face of the petiole and postpetiole reticulate and with dense, small, slightly irregular foveae. Mesonotum superficially shining and with variably clumped foveae separated by longitudinal, irregular rugosities. Scutellum with sculpture similar to the one of the mesonotum but denser. Anterior face of the petiole, posterior half of the lower mesopleurae, remaining metapleurae, gastral tergites and legs reticulate. Anterior fourth of the first gastral tergite with small foveae more superficial posteriorly. Outer face of the tibiae with minute, irregular foveae. Gastral sternites superficially reticulate on the sides and shining in the middle.

Pilosity. Each fovea bears a minute appressed hair. Other surfaces without foveae with short, appressed, sparse, thin hairs. Mesosoma, pedicel and gaster with slightly clavate, subdecumbent hairs, denser on the sternites. Gastral sternites with additional sparse, suberect, long, pointed hairs.

Colour. Black. Frontal carinae dark ferrugineous.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 11.04-11.93; HL 1.92-2.06; HW 2.32-2.54; EL 0.48-0.52; PW 2.16-2.52; PeW 0.83-0.96; PpW 1.04-1.20; HBaL 0.78-0.79; HBaW 0.20-0.22; CI 117.6-123.3; PI 100.0-107.4; PPeI 260.2-262.5; PPpI 200.0-210.0; HBaI 25.3-28.2.

Male
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head (eyes included) more than 1/3 broader than long; sides of the head convex and converging posteriorly. Vertex dorsally protruding, bearing salient ocelli. Compound eyes broadly convex, in the middle of the sides of the head. Frontal carinae diverging backwards, not reaching the median ocellus posteriorly. Frons flat. Clypeus convex.

Mandibles not carinate. Scapes thick, twice as long as the first funicular joint; remaining funicular joints filiform and thickening from the base to the apex.

Mesosoma. Pronotum in dorsal view with the sides diverging backwards, without carinae. Mesonotal scutum convex in side view; median Mayrian furrow little impressed. Scutellum convex, its sides gently converging posteriorly. Propodeum with differentiate basal and declivous faces; basal face gently convex; declivous face shorter than the basal one and almost straight. Propodeal sides divides from the dorsal face by a longitudinal carina.

Petiole with concave anterior face, superior face, flat and convex posteriorly; petiolar sides unarmed or with a pair of small denticles medially. Postpetiole convex dorsally; its sides with a pointed denticle.

Gaster as broad as the mesosoma.

Wings. As in the gyne.

Sculpture. Head dorsum irregularly rugulose and punctate; both structures are superimposed to irregular foveae on the vertexal angles and on the ventral face of the head. Ventral part of the head around the eyes with transversal rugosities. Mesosoma and peduncular segments reticulate and with very superficial, irregular foveae and thin longitudinal rugosities, the foveae absent on the declivous face of the propodeum and on the metapleurae; the reticulation stronger on the pedicel. First gastral tergite strongly reticulate and slightly granulose laterally in some specimens; this same type of sculpture but more superficial on the remaining tergites and on the sternites. Legs superficially reticulate and slightly shining. Outer face of the fore femora with faint, longitudinal rugulations.

Pilosity. Body with dark yellow, long, flexuous, thin, pointed hairs, dense on the head, on the mesosoma, on the pedicel and on the gaster, sparser on the legs. Legs with additional similar hairs but appressed, thinner and shorter.

Colour. Black. Coxae, two proximal thirds of the femora, and tarsi brown. Distal third of the femora and of the tibiae yellow.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 8.28-8.40; HL 1.08; HW 1.44; EL 0.49-0.52; PW 1.48-1.56; PeW 0.86-0.87; PpW 1.00-1.04; HBaL 0.88; HBaW 0.14-0.15; CI 133.3; PI 93.6-97.3; PPeI 172.1-179.3; PPpI 148.0-150.0; HBaI 15.9-17.0.

Type Material
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Worker, soldier. Type locality: Magdalena (Santa Marta, Colombia). Type material: 19 workers, 12 soldiers labelled "Santa Marta, Colombie", Forel, in, 1 worker in , examined.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * de Andrade, M.L. & C. Baroni Urbani. 1999. Diversity and Adaptation in the ant genus Cephalotes, past and present. Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde Serie B 271. 893 pages, Stuttgart