Cephalotes sucinus

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 obscurus, by the sparser body foveae. C. sucinus and obscurus both share scapular angles that are not visible in dorsal view. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Key to Cephalotes Workers

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

Nomenclature

 * † sucinus. †Cephalotes sucinus De Andrade, in De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 540, figs. 13A-C, 253 (w.) DOMINICAN AMBER (Miocene).

Worker
Head slightly broader than long. Vertexal angles round. Vertex with denticles. Vertexal margin gently concave. Mandibles laterally angulate.

Mesosoma. Scapular angles absent or not visible in dorsal view. Anterior pronotal border gently convex. Pronotal sides with a broad, long, continuous lamella. Promesonotal suture weakly marked. Sides of the mesonotum armed with a pair of truncate teeth. Propodeal suture impressed. Propodeum flat dorsally, bearing a lamellaceous expansion narrower than the pronotum and medially angulate. Basal and declivous faces differentiate.

Petiole. Anterior face truncate. Petiolar dorsum gently convex; petiolar sides with a small, stout tooth curved backwards. Postpetiole convex; postpetiolar sides anteriorly with a broad, round expansion.

Gaster suboval and with a pair of anterolateral lamellae not surpassing the stigma posteriorly.

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

Sculpture. Head minutely reticulate and with variably clumped foveae, smaller and shallower on the anterior half. Mesonotum reticulate and with foveae superimposed to irregular, thin, slightly longitudinal rugosities. Peduncular segments reticulate and with small foveae superimposed to irregular rugosities. Pleurae, gastral tergites and legs strongly reticulate and with short, longitudinal rugosities; the reticulation more superficial on the sternites.

Pilosity. Each fovea with a thin, appressed hair. Border of the vertexal angles, of the mesosoma, of the peduncular segments, gaster and legs with sparse, short, clubbed hairs. First gastral sternite with additional rare, suberect, pointed, long hairs.

Colour. Frontal carinae, vertexal angles, border of the mesonotal lamellae and gastral lamellae orange to ferruginous. Head, mesosoma and peduncular segments brown. Gaster and legs ferruginous. First gastral tergite anterolaterally with a pair of light yellow spots. First gastral tergite and sternite medially with a large brown spot.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.96; HL 1.16; HW 1.40; EL 0.32; PW 1.18; PeW 0.52; PpW 0.60; HBaL 0.38; HBaW 0.15; CI 120.7; PI 118.6; PPeI 215.4; PPpI 186.7; HBaI 39.5.

Type Material
Holotype worker (unique) in the Dominican amber sample H 10-118 in the GOPC.

Etymology
Sucinus in Latin means made of amber.