Cephalotes hispaniolicus

One of a number of Cephalotes fossil species that are known from Dominican amber.

Identification
A member of the multispinosus clade differing from its outgroup species, Cephalotes poinari, for the CI < 143 and from its ingroup species for the absence of vertexal denticles. hispaniolicus results as the second ingroup species of the clade (after poinari) and, in turn, outgroup of all remaining species. Its affinities, however, are much greater with the Mexican fossil poinari than with the next ingroup species (the equally Dominican fossil Cephalotes squamosus). hispaniolicus shares with poinari broad (as compared with those of the other ingroup species) lamellar expansions of the mesosoma, one of the two highest CI's within the clade, and a superficial sculpturation.

Key to Cephalotes Workers

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

Nomenclature

 * † hispaniolicus. †Cephalotes hispaniolicus De Andrade, in De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 298, figs. 13D, 127 (w.) DOMINICAN AMBER (Miocene).

Worker
Head only slightly broader than long. Frontal carinae not upturned above the eyes. Vertexal margin concave and with a short "neck" medially. Vertex without denticles. Eyes not strongly protruding. Mandibles laterally angulate.

Mesosoma. Scapular angles absent or not visible in dorsal view. Pronotum protruding anteriorly; anterior pronotal border straight. Pronotal sides with a long, semitransparent lamella obliquely truncate in front. Promesonotal suture absent Sides of the mesonotum nearly unarmed. Propodeal suture impressed. Propodeum with weakly differentiate basal and declivous faces; sides of the basal face anteriorly straight, posteriorly bearing a lamellae, obtuse anteriorly and prolonging backwards to the declivous face.

Petiole without distinct anterior and posterior faces. Petiolar and postpetiolar dorsum concave and weakly bicarinate. Petiolar sides with a broad, round, semitransparent lamella medially. Postpetiolar sides anteriorly with another broad, pointed, semitransparent lamella.

Gaster suboval and with a pair of broad, anterolateral lamellae.

Fore coxae angulate. Mid and hind femora angulate. Mid and hind basitarsi flat and with broad base.

Sculpture. Head minutely punctate and with superficial foveae variably clumped diminishing in size anteriorly. Ventral face of the head with the same type of sculpture as on the anterior part of the dorsum. Mesosoma minutely reticulate and with foveae as broad as their inters paces, the foveae less regular on the propodeum. Peduncular segments with the same type of sculpture as on the propodeum hut denser. Pleurae, gaster and legs reticulate. Centre of the first gastral sternite superficially shining.



Pilosity. Each fovea with a thin, appressed hair; similar hairs on the gaster. Border of the vertexal angles with rare, minute, clubbed hairs. Posterior border of the gastral tergites and of the sternites with clubbed hairs of variable size.

Colour. Frontal carinae, pronotal lamellae, propodeal lamellae and gastral lamellae dark brown and semitransparent.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.39; HL 0.98; HW 1.40; EL 0.20; PW 1.15; PeW 0.49; PpW 0.50; HBaL 0.47; HBaW 0.18; CI 142.8; PI 121.7; PPeI 234.7; PPpI 230.0; HBaI 38.3.