Cephalotes laminatus

Identification
A member of the laminatus clade differing from its sister species, Cephalotes inaequalis, in the worker, by the head longer and narrower, by the pronotal and propodeal spines longer and thinner, and, in the soldier, by the head narrower with the frontal carinae strongly converging anteriorly and by the sculpture more impressed and shining, and, in the gyne, by the head more convex and narrower.

Key to Cephalotes Workers

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

Nomenclature

 *  laminatus. Cryptocerus laminatus Smith, F. 1860c: 76, pl. 4, fig. 3 (w.) BRAZIL. Emery, 1894c: 203 (s.); De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 233 (s.q.m.). Combination in Cryptocerus (Paracryptocerus): Emery, 1915i: 192; in Paracryptocerus: Kempf, 1951: 164; in Zacryptocerus: Brandão, 1991: 386; in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 231.

Worker
Kempf (1959), as translated by de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Total length 5.3 mm; maximum head length 1.48 mm; median head length 1.19 mm; thorax length 1.52 mm.

Differs from inaequalis (Mann, 1916) for the following characters: semitransparent lamellae of the head and of the gaster and thoracal and petiolar spines darker, i. e. light ferruginous. Border of the occipital lamellae slightly curved, near straight. Lateral pronotal teeth less flat and widened at the base. Promesonotal suture vestigial. Mesoepinotal suture superficially impressed. Lateral epinotal teeth like those of the pronotum, with the posterior distinctly longer than the anterior one. Thoracic dorsum with denser foveolae and longer scales in the foveolae. Gaster much longer than wide, the median length larger than the maximum width with a proportion of 54:47; anterolateral lamellae narrower; scales longer.

Can be distinguished from christopherseni (Forel, 1912) for the following characters: Lighter tibiae. Head longer than the thorax, less flat in its superior face. Maximum diameter of the eyes exactly 1/3 of the head length. Second lateral pronotal tooth as long as the first, wider at the base; lateral border of the pronotum between the point of the second teeth and the posterior angle very weakly curved. Epinotal teeth thicker. Declivous face of the epinotum excavated in the middle, with the lateral borders strongly carinate.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.65-5.28; HL 1.16-1.26; HW 1.56-1.72; EL 0.38-0.44; PW 1.16-1.32; PeW 0.62-0.65; PpW 0.52-0.64; HBaL 0.48-0.56; HBaW 0.11-0.12; CI 133.3-138.7; PI 130.0-137.1; PPeI 183.3-200.0; PPpI 188.6-238.5; HBaI 19.6-23.1.

Soldier
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Differing from inaequalis in the following: frontal carinae anteriorly strongly converging towards the mandibles, laterally straight and gently upturned, and not reaching the posterior border of the eyes.

Mesosoma. Pronotal sides with the first pair of lamellar teeth more acute and broader. Mesonotal sides with a pair of thinner, truncate or slightly pointed teeth. Basal face of the propodeum with the pair of spines reaching the anterior third of the declivous face.

Petiolar sides medially with a pair of thin spines curved backwards.

Gaster shorter.

Sculpture. Body less punctate, more shining and with deeper and slightly larger foveae.

Colour. Black. Frontal carinae with one or two pairs of small, ferruginous, semitransparent spots. Lamellaceous border of the gaster yellow to ferruginous and semitransparent. Gaster with a pair of light yellow spots anteriorly. Tibiae and tarsomeres dark ferruginous.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 6.74-8.02; HL 1.80-2.22; HW 2.28-2.68; EL 0.50-0.52; PW 1.88-2.20; PeW 0.85-0.96; PpW 0.76-0.90; HBaL 0.60-0.70; HBaW 0.14-0.18; CI 113.7-126.7; PI 113.0-121.3; PPeI 221.2-229.2; PPpI 239.0-247.4; HBaI 23.3-25.7.

Queen
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Differing from inaequalis in the following: head less broad and much more convex. Frontal carinae strongly converging anteriorly; their sides parallel, gently upturned and surpassing behind the eyes posteriorly. Vertexal angles obtuse and slightly diverging towards the ventral border of the eyes. Vertex simply convex or with a pair of median, minute denticles.

Mesosoma. Scapular angles reduced and not visible in full dorsal view. Humeral angles with a pair of spines longer and more acute. Pronotal crest narrow, superficially marked on the sides and interrupted in the middle. Basal face of the propodeum anteriorly straight or weakly convex and followed by a pair of teeth pointed or round. Propodeal teeth directed backwards or slightly diverging.

Petiolar sides unarmed or with a pair of small median denticles. Postpetiole, laterally, with a pair of truncate lobes instead of spines.

Gaster with a pair of marginate anterior lobes.

Sculpture. Body foveae deeper and slightly larger. Lower metapleurae with transversal, thin rugosities on the dorsal half.

Pilosity. Clubbed hairs on the mesosoma and on the first gastral tergite rare and absent on the pedicel.

Colour. Black. Frontal carinae with one or two pairs of ferrugineous and semitransparent spots. Gaster with two pairs of yellow spots, the first pair on the anterior third and the second one before the posterior border of the first tergite. Tibiae and tarsomeres dark ferruginous.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 12.00-13.02; HL 2.46-2.50; HW 2.64-2.76; EL 0.55-0.56; PW 2.56-2.60; PeW 1.08; PpW 1.28-1.44; HBaL 0.80-0.81; HBaW 0.20-0.22; CI 107.3-110.4; PI 103.1-106.1; PPeI 237.0-240.7; PPpI 180.5-200.0; HBaI 25.0-27.2.

Male
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head (eyes included) more than 1/3 broader than long. Vertex strongly protruding dorsally. Compound eyes broadly convex. Frontal carinae short and not reaching the median ocellus posteriorly. Frons flat. Clypeus dorsally convex; its anterior border with a pair of broad denticles. External face of the mandibles without carina. Scapes thick, twice as long as the first funicular joint; remaining funicular joints thickening from the base to the apex.

Mesosoma. Pronotum in dorsal view with the sides diverging backwards, without carinae. Mesonotal scutum convex in side view; median Mayrian furrow very superficial. Basal and declivous faces of the propodeum differentiate; basal face gently convex and sloping backwards; declivous face posteriorly marked by a pair of longitudinal, converging carinae.

Petiole with deeply concave anterior face; posterior face sloping posteriorly and flat. Petiolar sides convex. Postpetiolar sides with a pair of small denticles medially.

Gaster slightly broader than the mesosoma.

Wings as in the gyne.

Sculpture. Head dorsum minutely reticulate-punctate and with irregular rugosities and foveae, the rugosities thinner on the posterior half, irregular and transversal around the eyes; the foveae denser on the vertexal area. Clypeus strongly reticulate. Ventral part of the head reticulate, punctate and with irregular foveae. Pronotum, mesonotum, scutellum, pro- and mesopleurae minutely and superficially reticulate, punctate and covered with shallow, variably clumped foveae, the reticulation more impressed on the pronotum. Basal face of the propodeum and upper metapleurae punctate and with sparse and irregular longitudinal rugosities, the rugosities continuing on the declivous face but thinner. Lower metaplcurae with longitudinal rugosities. Sides of the petiole and dorsum of the postpetiole superficially reticulate and with the sides covered with irregular foveae and short, thin, longitudinal rugosities. First gastral tergite reticulate and with superficial longitudinal rugosities. Remaining tergites and sternites superficially reticulate-punctate and slightly shining. Legs punctate, the punctures more impressed on the tarsi.

Pilosity. Body with light ferrugineous, flexuous, thin, pointed hairs dense on the head, on the mesosoma, on the pedicel, on the ventral face of the femora, and on the gaster. Legs with additional similar hairs but shorter and appressed.

Colour. Black with lighter gaster. Legs yellow.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 6.58; HL 0.92; HW 1.28; EL 0.45; PW 1.08; PeW 0.66; PpW 0.73; HBaL 0.77; HBaW 0.11; CI 139.1; PI 118.5; PPeI 163.6; PPpI 147.9; HBaI 14.3.

Type Material


Cryptocerus laminatus

Presence of the holotype in has been confirmed by W.W. Kempf.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Worker. Type locality: Ega (= Tefe) (Amazonas, Brazil). Type material: lectotype worker without locality label in (Type Hymenoptera 1042) (designated by Kempf, 1959: 95), examined; possible additional type material or material from the same series not examined by Smith: one worker and one soldier labelled "Amazonas, H. W. Bates S." in the (Forel, 1911b: 261), examined; second worker labelled "Amazonas, H. W. Bates S., cotype" in, examined.