Cephalotes porrasi

Cephalotes porrasi has been collected in a variety of wet forests types and in acacia found along water courses. They can be collected from ground level as strays on vegetation.

Identification
A member of the pallens clade characterised by the following apomorphies: worker with the membranaceous expansions of the propodeum with two or three teeth, with the hind femora narrowly crested or carinate and with HBaI ≤ 34, soldier and gyne with thick, brush-shaped hairs on the head. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama.

Morphology
Wheeler and Holldobler (1985) investigated how Cepholates workers might collect or accumulate debri on their head disks. Such debri can be used as camouflage 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 porrasi 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. pallens porrasi (=C. porrasi) (Figs. 7-9). The two soldiers shown in Figs. 7-9 were collected from the same colony. The soldier is characterized by large brush setae on the cephalic disc (Fig. 7). Similar views of the two soldiers, one clean and one dirty, are shown in Fig. 8. In the soldier that appeared clean, the brush setae were free of accumulated material, but the surface seemed to be obscured by a thick encrusting material (Figs. 7, 8a). The second soldier had such a thick accumulation that the large brush setae were almost completely buried (Figs. 8b, 9a). The material on the head of the dirty soldier appeared fibrous (Fig. 9b), much like the material seen on the head of Z. varians (Cephalotes varians)(Fig. 3a)."

Nomenclature

 *  porrasi. Cryptocerus (Cyathocephalus) pallens var. porrasi Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 210, pl. 52 (s.w.q.m.) PANAMA. Combination in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 486. Junior synonym of pallens: Kempf, 1958a: 151. Revived from synonymy and raised to species: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 486.

Worker
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Similar to the other species of the group from which it differs for one or more of the following characters. Head broader than long. Frontal carinae with minutely crenulate border. Membranaceous expansions of the vertexal angles narrow. Pronotum with a pair of membranaceous expansions continuous or superficially incised. Mesonotum with a pair of triangular, semi-membranaceous teeth and, in some specimens, an additional pair of minute denticles. Propodeal sides with a pair of membranaceous expansions bi- or tri-toothed. Anterior border of the petiole with a pair of salient swellings. Petiolar sides with a pair of pointed spines as long as or slightly shorter than their maximum length. Postpetiolar sides with a pair of pointed spines directed forwards. Gaster suboval and with a pair of anterolateral membranaceous expansions surpassing the stigma posteriorly and continuing until the posterior border of the first tergite as a superficial margin. Hind and mid femora angulate; their distal part with a dorsal, longitudinal carina less impressed on the mid femora; few specimens with a narrow crest on the hind femora.

Sculpture. Head dorsum and mesosoma minutely punctate, reticulate and with superficial, dense foveae, smaller behind the clypeus, sparser, shallower and less regular on the frontal carinae. Frontal carinae with additional, oblique, thin rugosities. Ventral part of the head reticulate; some specimens with small, dense, irregular foveae and rugosities on the anterior half. Pedicel minutely reticulate-punctate and with small, slightly irregular foveae. Pleurae strongly reticulate and with few, thin, longitudinal rugosities. Anterior third of the first gastral tergite strongly reticulate and with superficial, irregular foveae separate by thin, slightly longitudinal rugosities; similar sculpture on the remaining parts of the tergite but less impressed. Gastral sternites strongly reticulate, the reticulation more superficial on the center of the first sternite. Legs strongly reticulate and with minute, superficial, foveae, more impressed and denser on the outer face of the tibiae.

Pilosity. Body foveae with appressed hairs. Vertexal angles, posterior border of the gastral tergites and legs with rare, clubbed hairs. Gastral sternites with two types of pointed hairs: (1) sparse and short, and (2) rare and long on the second gastral sternite only. Remaining body parts without foveae with sparse, appressed, thin, short hairs only.

Colour. Brown to black with the frontal carinae and the membranaceous expansions of the body slightly lighter.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 3.44-4.34; HL 0.84-1.02; HW 0.96-1.14; EL 0.22-0.24; PW 0.73-0.95; PeW 0.60-0.76; PpW 0.55-0.67; HBaL 0.29-0.36; HBaW 0.10-0.12; CI 112.0-116.3; PI 120.0-131.5; PPeI 121.7-137.3; PPpI 132.7-148.4; HBal 31.4-34.0.

Soldier
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head disc suboval, longer than broad. Border of the disc strongly raised and with crenulate margin posteriorly. Floor of the disc medially with a pointed tumulus. Posterior part of the disc depressed.

Mesosoma. Humeral angles with a pair of obtuse, semi-membranaceous teeth. Pronotal sides gently converging posteriorly. Pronotal carina well marked, with variably crenulate margin and shortly interrupted medially. Mesonotal sides with a pair of broad, triangular teeth, sometimes with almost round tip. Propodeum with differentiate basal and declivous faces; sides of the basal face gently convex or with a small pair of irregular teeth followed by a pair of short, stout teeth curved upwards in large specimens.

Pedicel as in the worker but with narrower and shorter spines.

Mid and hind femora dorsally angulate; hind femora superficially carinate dorsally.

Gaster oval and with a pair of protruding lobes with marked margins.

Sculpture. Head dorsum with large, deep foveae, smaller on the tumulus, denser almost on the whole disc in small specimens and more clumped on the two posterior thirds of the floor of the disc than on its borders of the larger soldiers. Interspaces between the foveae porous. Sides of the disc punctate, densely and irregularly foveolate-rugulose, the foveae diminishing in size anteriorly; in some specimens the foveae more regular around the eyes; in other specimens the sides of the disc completely covered by slightly longitudinal rugosities. Ventral part of the head punctate, variably shining and covered by small foveae and irregular rugosities less impressed on median part. Mesosoma minutely reticulate-punctate and with dense foveae, larger on the pronotum, smaller on the propodeum. Pedicel with sculpture similar to that on the propodeum but with smaller foveae. Pleurae strongly reticulate; propleurae variably and irregularly foveolate-rugose. Gaster and legs with sculpture similar to that of the worker.

Pilosity. The foveae on the head dorsum with an erect, brush-shaped hair of variable size; those on the mesosoma, pedicel, gaster and legs with an appressed or decumbent, weakly canaliculate hair. Borders of the disc and foveae of the sides of the head with erect, long, variably clavate hairs; some specimens with rare brush hairs originating from the lateral foveae. Vertexal angles, pronotum, pedicel, gastral tergites and legs with rare clubbed hairs. Gastral sternites with two types of pointed hairs: sparse and short, and rare and long on the second gastral sternite only. Body parts without foveae with sparse, appressed, thin, short hairs.

Colour. Dark brown to black.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 5.52-7.12; HL 1.52-1.92; HW 1.44-1.72; EL 0.29-0.32; PW 1.32-1.68; PeW 0.76-0.80; PpW 0.69-0.80; HBaL 0.37-0.40; HBaW 0.14-0.15; CI 89.6-94.7; PI 102.4-109.1; PPeI 173.7-210.0; PPpI 191.3-210.0; HBaI 37.5-37.8.

Queen
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Differing from the soldier in the following details.

Sides of the disc with the borders slightly lower; few specimens with the border very low. Humeral angles with a pair of short, triangular teeth or simply obtuse. Pronotal crest lower. Pronotum, mesonotum and scutellum flat in side view. Sides of the basal face of the propodeum anteriorly convex and posteriorly with a small pair of pointed teeth, slightly diverging laterally or directed backwards in some specimens only.

Petiole. Anterior face oblique and slightly concave. Petiolar sides with a pair of pointed denticles. Postpetiole convex dorsally and with broad lateral spines with truncate apex and pointed backwards.

Gaster. Similar to the one of the soldier but much longer.

Legs with less impressed carinae on the outer face of the hind femora.

Sculpture. Foveae of the head dorsum slightly larger than in the soldier. Mesonotal foveae shallower. Pleurae reticulate. Propleurae with thin, superficial, slightly longitudinal rugosities. Lower meso- and metapleurae with thin, longitudinal rugosities. Upper mesopleurae and upper border of the upper metapleurac with small foveae.

Pilosity. As in the soldier except for the clubbed hairs thinner, longer and more abundant on the pedicel, on the gaster and on the legs and also present on the whole mesosoma.

Colour. Dark brown to black.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 7.40-8.20; HL 1.52-1.72; HW 1.44-1.56; EL 0.34-0.36; PW 1.28-1.44; PeW 0.64-0.68; PpW 0.77-0.80; HBaL 0.47-0.50; HBaW 0.15-0.16; CI 90.7-94.7; PI 108.3-112.5; PPeI 200.0-211.8; PPpI 166.2-180.0; HBaI 31.9-32.0.

Male
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Similar to the other species of the group from which it differs for one or more of the following characters: frontal carinae not raised. Clypeus convex posteriorly and superficially incised anteriorly in some specimens only.

Mesosoma. Pronotum in dorsal view with traces of scapular angles.

Sculpture. Head dorsum minutely reticulate. Posterior third of the head dorsum irregularly foveolate-rugose; frons with rare, minute foveae. Remaining head dorsum with thin rugosities oriented transversally in front of the eyes and longitudinal on the frons. Ventral part of the head reticulate, irregularly foveolate-rugulose, the rugae oblique to transversal around the eyes. Pronotum minutely reticulate and with irregular foveae, deeper on the sides. Mesonotum with minute, superficial reticulation, variably shining and with small, variably clumped, superficial, foveae. Scutellum with similar sculpture as on the mesonotum but with denser foveae; some specimens with few thin, longitudinal rugosities. Basal face of the propodeum reticulate and longitudinally rugulose. Pedicel with superficial and minute reticulation and with few, small foveae and short rugosities on the sides. Propleurae reticulate and sometimes with few, longitudinal, thin rugosities. Mesopleurae superficially reticulate and with thin, longitudinal rugosities on the posterior half; this sculpture covered by superficial, small foveae on the center of the lower and of the upper mesopleurae. Metapleurae reticulate and irregularly rugose; the rugosities oriented longitudinally on the lower part. Gaster almost smooth and shining. Legs punctate with moderately shining femora.

Pilosity as for the other species of the group.

Colour. Black. Coxae and gaster brown. Legs dark yellow.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.82-4.96; HL 0.73-0.75; HW 0.91-0.93; EL 0.35-0.36; PW 0.75-0.80; PeW 0.33-0.34; PpW 0.36-0.39; HBaL 0.54-0.56; HBaW 0.07; CI 124.0-124.6; PI 113.7-124.0; PPeI 220.6-242.4; PPpI 192.3-222.2; HBaI 12.9-12.5 (?).

Type Material
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Worker, soldier, gyne and male. Original description. Type locality: Quebrada de Oro (Canal Zone, Panama). Type material: 8 workers, 4 soldiers labelled: "Quebrada de Oro, C. Z., Mar. 13.1943, W. M. W, Cordia alliodora, cotype 1-12, 21093-21094",.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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 * de Andrade, M.L. & C. Baroni Urbani. 1999. Diversity and Adaptation in the ant genus Cephalotes, past and present. Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde Serie B 271. 893 pages, Stuttgart