Cephalotes serratus

The amber from La Toca where part of these specimens have been collected is estimated to be 30-45 Ma old (Poinar, 1992).

Identification
A member of the emeryi clade characterised, in the worker, by the long, flexuous hairs and by the HBaI ≥ 40.0. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Key to Cephalotes Workers

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

Nomenclature

 * †elevatus. †Exocryptocerus elevatus Vierbergen & Scheven, 1995: 160, fig. 2 (w.) DOMINICAN AMBER (Miocene). Junior synonym of †serratus: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 522.
 * † serratus. †Exocryptocerus serratus Vierbergen & Scheven, 1995: 159, fig. 1 (w.) DOMINICAN AMBER (Miocene). Combination in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 522. Senior synonym of †elevatus, †truncatus: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 522.
 * †truncatus. †Exocryptocerus truncatus Vierbergen & Scheven, 1995: 161, fig. 3 (w.) DOMINIAN AMBER. Junior synonym of †serratus: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 522.

Worker
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head subquadrate. Frontal carinae sparsely and variably crenulate, not upturned above the eyes. Vertexal angles with a round or truncate lamella with crenulate border. Vertexal margin concave. Vertex with a pair of small denticles. Mandibles laterally angulate.

Mesosoma. Scapular angles present in some specimens only. Anterior pronotal border straight, protruding anteriorly and passing into the sides with a long, weak concavity. Pronotal sides with a pair of broad, continuous lamella or with a pair of broad, obtuse teeth converging backwards. Promesonotal suture superficially marked or invisible. Propodeal suture marked. Sides of the mesonotum straight or with a pair of round or truncate teeth. Propodeum with differentiate basal and declivous faces; sides of the basal face marked anteriorly and posteriorly by an angle; declivous face of the propodeum converging posteriorly. Some specimens with the whole mesosomal border slightly crenulate . Petiole. Anterior face truncate, posterior face slightly concave medially. Petiolar sides with a pair of minute denticles or small teeth. Postpetiolar node superficially concave in the middle; anterior half of the postpetiolar sides with a pair of round, variably broad, teeth directed laterally.

Gaster suboval, with a pair of variably developed anterolateral lamellae or with small lobes.

Fore coxae angulate. Mid and hind femora without angle or denticles. Mid and hind basitarsi flattened and with broad base.

Sculpture. Head dorsum minutely punctate and covered with foveae variably clumped. Ventral face of the head superficially punctate-foveolate with superimposed irregular, longitudinal rugosities. Mesosoma minutely punctate and with dense, slightly irregular, foveae; this sculpture on the propodeum is superimposed to longitudinal, irregular rugosites. Peduncular segments with the same type of sculpture as on the propodeum but more superficial. Gaster reticulate; the reticulation more superficial on the center of the first gastral sternite. Legs strongly reticulate and with few, superficial, longitudinal rugosities.

Pilosity. Each fovea with a thin, pointed, flexuous hair of variable size; similar hairs but denser on the legs, on the gaster, and on the crenulation of the frontal carinae.

Colour. Some specimens have frontal carinae, vertexal angles, pronotal sides and gastral lamellae ferruginous and semitransparent while, in others, these parts are completely black.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 3.82-6.00; HL 0.96-1.36; HW 1.24-1.60; EL 0.24-0.28; PW 1.12-1.48; PeW 0.50; PpW 0.40-0.60; HBaL 0.42-0.56; HBaW 0.16-0.22; CI 123.1-129.2; PI 108.1-118.5; PPeI 246.7-306.4; PPpI 217.6-308.3; HBaI 40.0-42.3.

Type Material
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999):

Worker. Dominican amber. Type material: holotype in the JSHC, examined, two paratypes in (our reference numbers MCZC-2 and MCZC-11), examined.

Exocryptocerus elevatus Vierbergen & Scheven, 1995: 160, figs. 2 a-d. Worker. Dominican amber. Original description. Type material: holotype (unique) in the JSHC, examined. New synonym.

Exocryptocerus truncatus Worker. Dominican amber. Type material: Holotype (unique) in the JSHC, examined.