Cylindromyrmex longiceps

The largest known series of the longiceps was collected by Araujo (a Brazilian termitologist). It is very likely that all these specimens were collected in termite nests.

Identification
De Andrade (1998) - A member of the longiceps clade. C. longiceps is the sister species of Cylindromyrmex meinerti and differs from it in the worker and gyne by the narrower frontal carinae not reaching the anterior border of the clypeus.

C. longiceps is the species of the genus with the highest number of autapomorphies. They are the following: hypostomal bridge Y-shaped, broad and semitransparent: head very elongate: frontal carinae very narrow: mandibles edentate: anterior border of the clypeus medially notched and denticulate, ventral process of the petiole very short: pygidium with a semicircle of small teeth.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  longiceps. Cylindromyrmex longiceps André, 1892a: 47 (w.) BRAZIL. Kempf, 1968b: 372 (q.); De Andrade, 2001: 57 (m.). Combination in C. (Hypocylindromyrmex): Wheeler, W.M. 1924a: 106. See also: Brown, 1975: 38; De Andrade, 1998a: 642.

Worker
De Andrade (1998) - TL 7.44-8.50; HL 1.68-1.92; HW 1.08-1.28; EL 0.15-0.22; SL 0.47-0.52; SW 0.20-0.22; WL 1.68-1.96; PeL 0.57-0.70; PeW 0.70-0.83; HFeL 0.69-0.78; HFeW 0.33-0.38; HTiL 0.65-0.76; HTiW 0.25-0.29; HBaL 0.36-0.38; HBaW 0.10-0.11; CI 64.3-66.7; SI 42.3-42.5; HFeI 47.8-48.7; HTiI 38.1-38.5; HBaI 27.8-28.9.

Head about 1/3 longer than broad and with parallel sides. Occiput very low. Vertexal angles round and protruding backwards. Frontal carinae slightly less than 1/3 broad as the maximum head with. Anterior fourth of the frontal carinae diverging backwards and not reaching the anterior border of the eyes posteriorly. Dorsum of the frontal carinae with a median sulcus anteriorly. Frontal carinae shorter than the anterior border of the clypeus. Antero-median border of the clypeus, superficially notched and bearing a minute denticle. Compound eyes very small, flat and behind the mid line of the head. Ocelli reduced to a superficial pit, some specimens with the impair ocellus more developed than the pair ones. Scape stout and short. Anterior fourth of the scapes half narrower than the distal parts. Mandibles short and flat dorsally. Masticatory margin of the mandible, edentated and with a pointed apical tooth.

Mesosoma weakly convex dorsally and about 1/5 shorter than the head (mandibles included). Sides of the mesosoma slightly narrower in the mesonotum. Propodeum with the sides gently convex and converging posteriorly. Declivous face of the propodeum ca. 1/3 of the length or the basal face. Basal face separated from the declivous one by a very superficial margin.

Petiole subquadrate. Anterior face of the petiole very short and deeply concave; dorsal face or the petiole weakly convex. Ventral process of the petiole small and subround. Postpetiole broader than long. Postpetiolar sides gently diverging posteriorly. Postpetiolar sternite antero-medially with a triangular “lip” pointing backwards. Pygidium truncate: its border with a semicircle of small teeth of similar size.

Legs. Femora and tibiae inflated. Hind basitarsi slightly less than 1/2 shorter than the maximum length of the tibiae. Outer apical edge of the hind and of the mid-basitarsi respectively with 5.6 spine-like setae.

Sculpture. Head dorsum covered by thin longitudinal striae, more superficial and thinner close to the antennal scrobes. Ventral part of the head with small, superficial, oval piligerous foveae and with longitudinal striae, fainter on the posterior half, absent on the middle and on the posterior angles. Mesosoma with longitudinal striae thicker on the pronotum. Pronotum with 22-25 striae thicker than those on the posterior half of the head dorsum. Pleurae and petiolar sides with longitudinal striae similar to those on the antennal scrobes. Petiolar dorsum with 24-26 striae similar to those on the propodeum. Declivous face of the propodeum and anterior face of the petiole minutely punctate. Dorsum of the postpetiole and of the first gastric tergite covered by striae thinner than those on the petiole. Second gastric tergite with thin and superficial striae on the center only. Remaining gastric tergites and sternites sparsely and minutely reticulate and densely punctate. Legs with very superficial, minute punctures. Hind coxae covered by thin, longitudinal striae: mid coxae with similar sculpture but sparser and fainter.

Pilosity. Body with pointed hairs of at least three lengths and distributed as follows: (1) long, erect to suberect, one pair on the clypeus, one close to each pronotal angle, rare on the gaster, sparse on the pygidium; (2) shorter than the type (1) and sparsely distributed on the whole body. (3) shorter than the type (2), sparse and suberect on the head dorsum and on the mesosoma, sparse and subdecumbent on the pedicel, and on the first gastric tergite, decumbent but sparse on the ventral part of the head and on the legs, dense on the postpetiolar and on the remaining gastric sternites. In addition to the hypostomal bridge surrounded by a layer of hairs similar to the type (1) butappressed and apically curved.

Colour black. Mandibles and anterior third of the head dark ferrugineous. Scapes, first funicular joints and tarsi brown. Legs orange to light brown.

Queen
De Andrade (1998) - TL 9.94; HL 1.84; HW 1.18; EL 0.54; SL 0.49; SW 0.21; WL 2.76; PeL 0.74; PeW 0.76; HFeL 0.73; HFeW 0.38; HTiL 0.75; HTiW 0.27; HBaL 0.44; HBaW 0.11; CI 64.1; SI 42.8; HFeI 52.0; HTiI 36.0; HBaI 25.0.

Very similar to the worker but differing from it in the following details: compound eyes very large, flat and on the middle of the dorsolateral part of the head; ocelli well defined and marked; mesosoma broad medially; parapsidal furrows superficially impressed, petiole slightly longer than broad; pronotum with about 28 striae; mesonotum and scutellum with very superficial, short, thin striae, postpetiolar striae as thick as on the pronotum.

Type Material
De Andrade (1998) - Worker. Brazil. Type material: 1 worker labelled: “Bresil. Type. Museum Paris, Collecton Ernest Andre, 1914. longiceps Andre”, in, examined.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Kempf W. W. 1968. Miscellaneous studies on Neotropical ants. IV. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 11: 369-415.
 * Kempf W. W. 1978. A preliminary zoogeographical analysis of a regional ant fauna in Latin America. 114. Studia Entomologica 20: 43-62.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).