Cephalotes depressus

Identification
A member of the depressus clade differing from its sister species Cephalotes eduarduli, in the worker, soldier and gyne by the absence of erect, truncate hairs on the mesosoma, on the pedicel and on the first gastral tergite, in the soldier and in the gyne by the head dorsum opaque. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Distribution
Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay.

This taxon was described from Brazil.

Worker
Soldier

Nomenclature

 *  depressus. Cryptocerus depressus Klug, 1824: 204 (w.) BRAZIL. Emery, 1906c: 170 (s.q.m.); Forel, 1906d: 235 (q.m.); De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 355 (m.). Combination in Paracryptocerus: Kempf, 1951: 218; in Zacryptocerus: Brandão, 1991: 385; in Cephalotes: Baroni Urbani, 1998: 326; De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 352. Junior synonym of pavonii: Roger, 1861b: 173; Forel, 1895b: 134. Revived from synonymy: Forel, 1912e: 200. Senior synonym of sorocabensis: Kempf, 1951: 218.
 * sorocabensis. Cryptocerus depressus var. sorocabensis Forel, 1912e: 200 (s.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of depressus: Kempf, 1951: 218.

Worker
Kempf (1951) - Length 4.5-6 mm. Black; the following ferruginous to testaceous: frontal carinae, occipital lobes, tips of lateral spines on thorax and peduncle, and anterolateral border of gaster. Reddish-brown to fuscous-brown: Mandibles, antennae, tibiae, and tarsi.

Head subquadrate, slightly broader than long. Frontal carinae distinctly crenulate and beset with small projecting setulae on the anterior half; very little diverging caudad. Occipital lobes bidenticulate, the inner tooth subacute, the outer tooth blunt. Pronotal lamellae short, not longer than broad, the second tooth of the pronotum, behind the lamella small, smaller than the lateral mesonotal tooth. First lateral epinotal spine not recurved, the second spine very short, in the form of a triangular tooth, removed from the posterior corner of the declivous face. Petiole with a lateral slender spine, arising from the side, its base removed backward from the often subangulate anterior corner of the segment. Postpetiole with an anterior lateral stout spine, recurved at apex. Gaster subcordiform, longer than wide, longer than the interocular width. The anterolateral border of the first tergite distinctly but narrowly crested.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.20-5.80; HL 0.92-1.32; HW 1.16-1.72; EL 0.32-0.44; PW 1.00-1.68; PeW 0.64-0.98; PpW 0.55-0.76; HBaL 0.32-0.48; HBaW 0.10-0.19; CI 126.1-130.3; PI 103.1-116.0; PPeI 156.2-171.4; PPpI 181.8-221.0; HBal 31.2-39.6.

Soldier
Kempf (1951) - 7 mm. Black; the following lighter, more or less ferrugenous: anterior portion of frontal carinae, tips of femora, tibiae and tarsi, tips of lateral pronotal and epinotal lobes, peduncular spines.

Head subquadrate, the upper surface of head rather convex. Frontal carinae sharply crenulated, with small setulae projecting from the notches. Vertex with a vestigial transverse median carinule, the small teeth more or less vestigial; occiput subtruncate. Upper surface of head finely punctate and subfulgid. Shoulders distinct, pronotum greatly expanded laterad, the posterior portion, of the sides strongly converging and somewhat emarginate. Transverse pronotal crest vestigial mesad. Mesonotum with a rounded lateral lobe. Basal face of epinotum very short mesad, with a postero-lateral bituberculate on each side, the base of which forms a faint carinule separating the declivous face from the basal face, fading out towards the middle. Petiole and postpetiole as in worker, the petiole still narrower, the lateral spines shorter. The postpetiole with stouter, more recurved lateral spines.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 6.44-7.08; HL 1 .60-1 .76; HW 2.00-2.22; EL 0.44; PW 1.96-2.12; PeW 0.96-1.08; PpW 0.84-0.94; HBaL 0.52-0.56; HBaW 0.20; CI 124.4-126.1; PI 102.0-104.7; PPeI 196.30-204.1; PPpI 225.5-238.1; HBaI 35.7-38.5.

Queen
Kempf (1951) - Length 10 mm. In general similar to that of cristatus. Frontal carinae regularly and very sharply crenulate. Vertex without a distinct median bicarinate crest. Occipital angle simple, not bidenticulate. Transverse pronotal crest not serrated, with a more or less continuous edge. Scapular spine short, directed sideward, not foreward. Lower mesopleura without a conspicuously projecting tooth, usually more or less obsolete. Epinotal teeth shorter. Petiole about as long as wide, sides sub-parallel, constricted behind, the sides forming a small, rectangular denticle in front of the constriction. Postpetiole somewhat broader than long, much narrower than in cristatus. Wings infuscated, the veins dark brunneous. Fore wing with a closed and appendiculate marginal cell, the transverse cubital vein present.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 9.52-10.16 HL 1.80-1.84; HW 2.04-2.08; EL 0.48; PW 1.92-2.08; PeW 0.80-0.92; PpW 1.00-1.06; HBaL 0.68-0.70; HBaW 0.24-0.25; CI 113.0-113.3; PI 100.0-106.2 PPeI 226.1-240.0; PPpI 1.92.0-196.2; HBaI 35.3-35.7.

Male
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head (eyes included, mandibles excluded) 1/3 broader than long; vertexal angles obtuse and carinate. Ocelli protuberant on the convex vertex. Eyes broadly convex and placed in the middle of the sides of the head. Frontal carinae raised, diverging backwards and not reaching the posterior border of the eyes. Frons flat. Clypeus convex dorsally. Mandibles slender, laterally carinate and with three distinct apical teeth. Scapes thick, twice longer than the first funicular joint; remaining funicular joints thickening from the base to the apex.

Mesosoma. Pronotum in dorsal view broadening backwards; its sides with a superficial lateral carina in some specimens only. Mesonotum convex; median Mayrian carina and parapsidal furrows weakly impressed. Scutellum convex, its sides converging posteriorly. Propodeum with slightly differentiate basal and declivous faces; basal face convex, its sides converging posteriorly.

Petiole narrower than postpetiole with a deeply concave anterior border. Sides of the petiolar node convex and posteriorly converging. Postpetiole convex in dorsal view; its sides anteriorly with an obtuse, short denticle or gently convex.

Gaster as broad as or broader than the mesosoma.

Wings. Fore wings with R+Sc superficially connected with a marked pterostigma. 2r marked, Rsf5 connected with R1. Distal parts of A, Cu-A1 and Mf4 vestigial. Hind wings with R, M+ CuA, M and 1A marked; CuA, M and distal part of 1A vestigial.

Sculpture. Body covered by deep reticulation less impressed on the gaster and on the legs. Head dorsum with small, superficial foveae, denser on the posterior fourth and on the frons. Periocular area with transversal rugosities. Ventral part of the head and mesosoma with large, deep, irregular foveae. Pleurae with longitudinal, thin rugosities; mesopleurae with very superficial, small foveae. Pedicel with few rugosities.

Pilosity. Head and mesosoma covered by long, dense, sub erect, hairs, sparser and subdecumbent on pedicel, on the gaster and on the legs. Funiculi densely covered by thin, short, decumbent hairs, similar but thinner, sparser and slightly longer hairs on the legs and on the gaster.

Colour. Head, mesosoma and pedicel black; proximal half of the legs and gaster light brown to black. Distal half of the legs and wing veins yellowish brown. Wings slightly infuscated and transparent.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 5.40-6.38; HL 0.80-0.90; HW 1.12-1.24; EL 0.39-0.46; PW 0.96-1.12; PeW 0.48-0.64; PpW 0.56-0.70; HBaL 0.50-0.60; HBaW 0.11-0.13; CI 135.6-140.0; PI 108.9-116.7 PPeI 192.3-200.0; PPpI 166.7-171.4; HBaI 20.3-23.5.

Type Material
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999):

Worker. Type locality: Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro. Type material: not available for the present study.

Cryptocerus depressus var. sorocabensis. Soldier. Type locality: Sorocaba (Sao Paulo). Type material 7 workers and 2 small soldiers labelled: "Sorocaba, Provo St. Paolo, Goldi, C. depressus v. sorocabensis For., type", examined.