Cephalotes setulifer

Distribution
This taxon was described from Costa Rica.

Morphology
Wheeler and Holldobler (1985) investigated how Cepholates workers might collect or accumulate debri on their head disks. Such debri can be used as camaflouge for individuals that are using their head to block the nest entrance, much like Basicerotini and Stegomyrmicini ant species affix dirt their bodies. They discovered Cephalotes setulifer do in fact have encrusted material on their head disks. This varied from slight to extremely built-up material. Unexpectedly these covering materials appeared to be produced by the ants, rather than an accumulation of material that was affixed and somehow binded to the head disk. The presence of many pores, which are presumably attached to glands, are the likely source of secreted fibrous and filmy substances that were detected.

They also discovered: "Z. setulifer (Figs. 10-11). The MCZ collection includes 3 queens and soldier of this little-known species. The heads of all 4 specimens are caked with debris. We examined one queen and found that the material encrusting the head appeared more solid than that seen in the other species. Brush setae on the head, as far as they can be seen (Fig. 10b), were not a,s complex as those on Z. pallens porrasi (Cephalotes porrasi). On the thorax, where the hairs were visible, were two layers of setae: erect brush hairs and a lower layer of flattened appressed setae (Fig. 11). The same pattern was found on the thorax of the soldier."

Nomenclature

 *  setulifer. Cryptocerus setulifer Emery, 1894c: 211, pl. 4, figs. 34-37 (w.q.) COSTA RICA. Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 211 (s.m.). Combination in Cryptocerus (Cyathocephalus): Emery, 1915i: 192; in Paracryptocerus (Cyathomyrmex): Kempf, 1958a: 146; in Zacryptocerus: Brandão, 1991: 388; in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 551. Senior synonym of orbis: Kempf, 1958a: 146.
 * orbis. Cryptocerus setulifer r. orbis Forel, 1906d: 231 (s.w.) COSTA RICA. Combination in Cryptocerus (Cyathocephalus): Emery, 1924d: 311. Junior synonym of setulifer: Kempf, 1958a: 146.

Additional References

 * [[Media:Wheeler_&_Holldobler_1985.pdf|Wheeler, D. E.; Hölldobler, B. 1986 ("1985"). Cryptic phragmosis: the structural modifications. Psyche (Cambridge) 92:337-353. [1986-04-27] PDF]]