Cephalotes pinelii

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
A member of the pinelii clade differing from its two closest species, Cephalotes liepini and Cephalotes pileini, as follows: in the worker, from liepini by the shallower sculpture and by the much longer gaster, and from pileini, by the head as long as the pronotal width, and in the soldier from both species by the deeper depression on the vertex. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil, Paraguay.

Nomenclature

 *  pinelii. Cryptocerus pinelii Guérin-Méneville, 1844a: 425 (w.) BRAZIL. Emery, 1890b: 75 (s.q.); Emery, 1894c: 208 (s.); Forel, 1908c: 354 (m.); De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 391 (m.). Combination in Cryptocerus (Cyathocephalus): Santschi, 1916e: 283; in Paracryptocerus (Harnedia): Kempf, 1952: 22; in Zacryptocerus: Brandão, 1991: 388; in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 390.

Worker
Kempf (1952) - Length 3.5-4.1 mm. Color variable. Brownish-black to ferruginous; callows may be ochraceous as grandinusus. Funiculus and legs ferruginous. Frontal carinae and membraneceous borders of the thorax, peduncle and gaster pale testaceous. In fully colored specimens the peripheral portions of the first gastral tergite are distinctly paler than the discal portions.

Head subquadrate, slightly longer than wide, longer than thorax, scarcely tapering cephalad; the interocular width greater than the median head length. Sides of head straight, scarcely upturned above eyes. Occipital corners rounded and membranaceous. Occipital border scarcely emarginate. Greatest diameter of eyes less than one fourth of maximum head length.

Thorax as long as broad across the pronotum. Shoulders rounded or obtusely angulate. Sides of thorax forming a rentrant angle at mesonotum, which has, on each side, a submembranaceous, projecting denticule. Mesoepinotal suture vestigial mesally. Epinotum narrower than pronotum, with distinct basal and declivous faces. Dorsum of hind femora longitudinally marginate distad of the angle, but without a dorsal and ventral crest.

Petiole shallowly and broadly impressed antero-mesally. Membranaceous lobes of peduncular segments less expanded than in grandinosus.

Gaster ovate, usually elongate, with anterolateral, rounded, membranaceous borders. Opaque, finely shagreened. Head and thorax with squamiferous foveolae on dorsum. First gastral tergite with fine, more or less longitudinal rugulae on the basal half. Sides of thorax and the declivous face without striae. Scales shiny and appressed, smallest on gaster. No erect setae on the first gastral tergite.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 3.16-4.46; HL 0.78-1.04; HW 0.90-1.18; EL 0.22-0.26; PW 0.80-1.04; PeW 0.50-0.60; PpW 0.51-0.60; HBaL 0.23-0.33; HBaW 0.09-0.11; CI 110.4-115.4; PI 110.4-113.5; PPeI 153.8-173.3; PPpI 156.9-173.3; HBaI 33.3-39.1.

Soldier
Kempf (1952) - Length 4.8-5.7 mm. Head, thorax, peduncle and appendages ferruginous, often somewhat infuseated. Gaster slightly darker, the first tergite with a broad, pale band toward the anterior border and along the sides, the disc brownish black. Membranaceous portions of frontal carinae, shoulders, epinotum and peduncular segments pale testaceous.

Head about as long as wide, surmounted by a circular, strongly excavate, disc, the border of which is crenulated. Cephalic disc with a median longitudinal convexity, and a deeply excavate groove mesally on the occipital border, flanked by strong ridges. Supramandibular excision subsemicircular. Part of the disc covering the antennal scrobe membranaceous.

Thorax shorter than head, slightly broader than long. Shoulders membranaceous, obtusely angulate. Sides of pronotum moderately convex. Transverse pronotal carina crested. Mesonotum about twice as broad as long, with a more or less rounded, projecting lobe on each side. Basal and declivous faces of epinotum narrowly crested, the posterior corners of the basal face having an upturned tubercular tooth. Femora as in worker.

Peduncular segments similar to those of worker.

Gaster elongate, the anterolateral borders evenly rounded.

Disc of head somewhat shiny, less so on dorsum of thorax. Both strongly, coarsely, and densely foveolate. Gaster with the same minute rugulae as in worker.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.64-5 .36; HL 1.16-1.36; HW 1.32-1.44; EL 0.28-0.32; PW 1.28-1.44; PeW 0.58-0.70; PpW 0.58-0.67; HBaL 0.30-0.33; HBaW 0.11-0.12; CI 94.4-113.8; PI 97.1-103.1; PPeI 205.7-222.9; PPpI 206.1-222.9; HBaI 34.4-40.0.

Queen
Kempf (1952) - Length 6.5-7.0 mm. Color as in soldier with the following differences: occipital lobes, shoulders, basal face of epinotum, orange-brown; disc of head, scutum, sides of thorax, and gaster infuscated. The portion of the cephalic disc covering the antennal scrobe is partly membranaceous. First gastral tergite with an elongate, yellowish macula on each corner, the pair on each side nearly fusing.

Head as in soldier, but more elongate. Cephalic disc elliptical, excavate laterad, moderately convex discally. Borders of the disc distinctly crested and submembranaceous. Median groove on vertex as in soldier.

Thorax longer than wide. Shoulders angulate. Transverse pronotal carina vestigial to obsolete. Anterior tooth of lower mesopleura small or absent. Basal face of epinotum with a blunt rounded, lateral lobe and a strong, rather blunt teeth on the posterior corner.

Petiole with a small denticule on each side, pointing obliquely caudad. Anterolateral lobes of gaster rounded.

Wings hyaline, the venation brunneous. Marginal cell of fore wing closed and appendiculate. Transverse cubital vein present.

Sculpture and pilosity as in soldier. Scales on gaster minute, appressed.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 6.36-7.36; HL 1.28-1.32; HW 1.26-1.38; EL 0.32-0.33; PW 1.24-1.36; PeW 0.54-0.61; PpW 0.70-0.76; HBaL 0.36-0.43; HBaW 0.12-0.15; CI 94.4-104.5; PI 98.4-106.4; PPeI 203.3-251.8; PPpI 168.4-214.9; HBaI 33.3-38.9.

Male
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head (eyes included and mandibles excluded) 1/3 broader than long; vertexal angles convex. Vertex slightly protruding dorsally and 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 slightly convex; its posterior border marked by a convex sulcus, the anterior border concave medially and laterally denticulate. Mandibles slender. 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 and feebly carinate. Mesonotal scutum convex in side view; median Mayrian furrow superficially impressed and visible in some specimens only. Scutellum convex, its sides converging posteriorly. Basal and declivous faces of the propodeum differentiated; basal face unarmed and with the sides converging posteriorly; declivous face with the sides carinate and converging posteriorly.

Petiole as broad as the postpetiole; its anterior face concave. Petiolar sides convex or slightly obtuse anteriorly, converging posteriorly. Postpetiole laterally and dorsally convex.

Gaster almost as broad as the mesosoma.

Wings. As in the gyne.

Sculpture. Head and mesosoma reticulate-punctate, with sparse, irregular foveae and irregular rugosities, the rugosities more regular on the centre of the ventral part of the head and on the pleurae. Pedicel superficially reticulate and with faint longitudinal rugosities. Gaster and legs reticulate, the reticulation less impressed on the legs.

Pilosity. Body with three types of hairs: (1) long, thin, pointed hairs dense on the head, on the mesosoma, sparse on the pedicel; (2) shorter than the cephalic hairs, decumbent on the gaster and on the legs; (3) short, subtruncate, subdecumbent on the funiculi.

Colour. Head, mesosoma, pedicel and coxae black. Gaster, femora and tarsi castaneous-brown. Tibiae yellow to light brown.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.52-4.86; HL 0.66-0.71; HW 0.85-0.91; EL 0.35; PW 0.84-0.91; PeW 0.42-0.47; PpW 0.40-0.46; HBaL 0.41-0.44; HBaW 0.08; CI 128.2-128.8; PI 100.0-109.0; PPeI 193.6-200.0; PPpI 197.8-210.0; HBaI 18.2-19.5.

Type Material
Worker. Type locality: Morro Queimado (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Type material: presumably lost (Emery, 1894 a), not found in the.