Cephalotes integerrimus

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

Identification
A member of the coffeae clade differing from its sister species, Cephalotes dieteri, by the sparser foveolation of the integument and by the CI ≥ 120.0 instead of < 114.

Key to Cephalotes Workers

Distribution
This taxon was described from Dominican Amber (Miocene).

Nomenclature

 * † integerrimus. †Zacryptocerus integerrimus Vierbergen & Scheven, 1995: 162, fig. 5 (w.) DOMINICAN AMBER (Miocene). Combination in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 545.

Worker
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head slightly broader than long, with subparallel sides. Frontal carinae superficially crenulate, not upturned above the eyes. Vertexal angles round or slightly truncate. Vertexal margin concave. Mandibles laterally angulate.

Mesosoma. Scapular angles visible in dorsal view. Anterior pronotal border gently convex. Pronotal sides with a broad, long, continuous lamella. Promesonotal suture superficially marked in some specimens only. Sides of the mesonotum with a pair of round teeth. Propodeum with differentiate basal and declivous faces; sides of the basal face angulate anteriorly and posteriorly; declivous face of the propodeum converging posteriorly, sometimes a minute denticle in the middle of the sides of the declivous face.

Petiole. Anterior face truncate, posterior face flat. Petiolar sides with a pair of obtuse or pointed teeth medially. Postpetiolar node weakly concave in the middle; anterior half of the postpetiolar sides with a pair of obtuse to pointed teeth arising from the anterior border of the postpetiole and with the base slightly directed forwards.

Gaster sub-oval, with a pair of anterolateral, semitransparent lamellae reaching the stigma posteriorly.

Fore coxae angulate. Mid and hind femora angulate. Mid and hind basitarsi flat and with broad base.

Sculpture. Head minutely reticulate-punctate and with small foveae variably clumped. Ventral face of the head with the same type of sculpture as the dorsum but the reticulation less deep and slightly shining. Mesonotum reticulate-punctate and with foveae larger than those of the head and variably clumped. Declivous face of the propodeum and pleurae reticulate. Pedicel reticulate-punctate and with dense, superficial foveae of variable size. Some specimens with the foveae broader than their interspaces. Gastral tergites, sides of the first gastral sternite, remaining sternites and legs strongly reticulate. Center of the first gastral sternites shining.

Pilosity. Each fovea with a thin, appressed hair; similar hairs but thinner on the first gastral tergite and sternite and on the legs. Anterior border of the frontal carinae with rare pointed hairs. Border of the vertexal angles with short truncate hairs. Posterior sides of the first gastral tergite, posterior border of the remaining tergites and sternites with rare clubbed hairs of different length. Border of the gastral sternites, additionally, with rare, thin, erect, pointed hairs.

Colour. Frontal carinae, vertexal angles and gastral lamellae ferrugineous to brown and semitransparent. The transparency, of course, can not be observed in the specimens covered by a gaseous layer. At least in one specimen (MCZC-24) a darker spot in the middle of the first gastral tergite is well visible.



Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 3.78-4.06; HL 0.92-1.04; HW 1.12-1.32; EL 0.26-0.28; PW 0.92-1.06; PeW 0.40-0.50; PpW 0.46-0.52; HBaL 0.32-0.33; HBaW 0.13-0.14 CI 120.0-139.1; PI 112.0-134.8; PPeI 209.1-250.0; PPpI 200.0-225.5; HBal 39.4-42.4.

Type Material
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999)- Worker. Dominican amber. Type material: holotype in the JSHC, examined.