Cephalotes foliaceus

Identification
A member of the grandinosus clade differing from all the other species of the clade in the worker and soldier by the first gastral tergite surrounded by a membranaceous border. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Key to Cephalotes Workers

Distribution
Panama, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, Peru.

Nomenclature

 *  foliaceus. Cryptocerus foliaceus Emery, 1906c: 172 (footnote), fig. 32 (w.) PERU. Kempf, 1952: 8 (s.). Combination in Paracryptocerus (Harnedia): Kempf, 1952: 7; in Zacryptocerus: Hespenheide, 1986: 395; in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 431.

Worker
Kempf (1952) - Length 4.2 mm. Median head length 1.07 mm. Weber's length of thorax 1.12 mm. Yellowish-brown, the anterior portion of the first gastral tergite much paler. Membranaceous borders and frontal carinae yellowish-white.

Head longer than thorax (52:46), broader than long (59:52), convex discally above. Supramandibular excision broad, subrectangular. Borders of frontal carinae and occipital corners finely denticulate. Lateral border of head slightly concave, scarcely upturned above eyes. Occipital corners rounded and membranaceous. Greatest diameter of eyes about 1/5 of maximum head length (11:52).

Thorax, in dorsal view, subquadrate, depressed; sides parallel. Anterior corners of pronotum obtusely angulate, posterior corners rounded. Mesonotum with a broad, apically truncate, membranaceous plate on each side. Mesoepinotal suture distinct laterad, obsolete mesally. Epinotum as wide as pronotum, both with broad membranaceous border. Declivous face not differentiated from the basal face. Femora with a strong longitudinal membranaceous crest apically above and below.

Petiole slightly wider than postpetiole, not impressed anteromesally, without distinctly truncate anterior face above the thoracic insertion, the lateral membranaceous expansions containing a solid recurved spine.

Gaster subcircular, about as wide as long. First gastric tergite surrounded by a broad circular membranaceous border, interrupted only at the postpetiolar insertion.

Head and thorax somewhat shiny; the gaster and appendages subopaque, finely shagreened. Dorsum of head and thorax with squamiferous foveolae. Gaster without conspicuous foveolae. Scales short, rounded and canaliculate. No erect setae on first gastral tergite.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.52-4.88; HL 1.10-1.14; HW 1.62-1.68; EL 0.28; PW 1.24-1.32; PeW 0.88-0.97; PpW 0.84-0.93; HBaL 0.31; HBaW 0.19; CI 147.3-147.4; PI 127.3-130.6; PPeI 136.1-141.0; PPpI 141.0-147.6; HBaI 61.3.

Solider
Kempf (1952) - Length 5.0 mm. Median head length 1.27 mm. Weber's length of thorax 1.44 mm. Ferruginous-yellow. Funicular segments 2-9, tarsi, basal end of femora ferruginous. Anterior portion of pronotum, first gastral tergite, except a large circular ferruginous-yellow central area, pale orange to creamy. Marginal foliaceous crests glassy, semitransparent, dark orange around cephalic disc, paler on thorax and femora, almost colorless around gaster.

Head broader than long (80:63), surmounted by an elliptical, excavated disc, the borders of which are subperpendicularly upturned, having two vestigial denticules projecting from the mesal portion above occiput. Supramandibular excision about twice as broad as deep. Apical part of mandibles deflected downward, forming a distinct angle, visible from above as a crest running obliquely across the mandibles. Center of cephalic disc with a median convexity having a pair of antero-lateral extensions and a single postero-median branch. Postero-lateral portion of disc excavate and concave. Occipital lobes crested and obliquely truncate. Antennal scrobes ventral in position; part of cephalic disc above it semitransparent and membranaceous.

Thorax broader than long (69:56), with marginal membranaceous crests. Transverse pronotal carina strongly crested, interrupted mesally. Promesonotal suture obsolescent mesally. Sides of mesonotum with flattened, rounded and crested lobe. Mesoepinotal suture distinct. Epinotum broader than mesonotum, longitudinally convex with scarcely differentiated basal and declivous faces. A solid upturned tooth on each posterior corner of the basal face. Femora compressed, the apical half with a conspicuous dorsal and ventral crest. Tibiae short and stout, about twice as long as broad. Tarsi very short, the first and fifth segments less than twice as long as broad, segments 2-4 broader than long.

Petiole with a recurve and slender spine on each side, contained within the broad membranaceous border. Anterior and dorsal face of petiole continuously curved in profile. Postpetiole with a foliaceous spine on each side, projecting laterad and slightly cephalad.

Gaster subcircular, the median length subequal to the maximum width (67:69); excised antero-mesially, the remaining margin of the first tergite with a continuous membranaceous border.

Horizontal part of mandibles finely shagreened, deflected portions coarsely rugulose. Head except the excavated part of the disc, coarsely reticulate-rugose. Excavation smooth along the margins, finely reticulate-punctate in the center, with large, sparse, rounded, squamiferous foveolae. Dorsum of thorax and peduncular segments similarly sculptured, the foveolae being somewhat denser and the intervals almost smooth and shiny. Sides of thorax finely reticulate-striated. Appendages finely reticulate-punctate. Dorsum of gaster reticulate-punctate, the squamiferous foveolae very small, shallow, and vestigial.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 3.24 (without postpetiole and gaster missing in the sole known specimen); HL 1.28; HW 1.72; EL 0.28; PW 1.60; PeW 0.96; HBaL 0.32; HBaW 0.19; CI 134.4; PI 107.5; PPeI 166.7; HBaI 59.4.

Type Material
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Worker. Type locality: Pachitea River, Peru. Type material: one worker labelled "Peru, Pachitea, Stdg", examined.