Cephalotes

Common in the new world tropics these ants have long attracted the attention of tropical biologists due to their unusual soldier caste. Numerous species have a soldier caste with large heads that match the size and shape of their nest entrances. These soldiers serve as living doors that open to admit incoming foragers and effectively exclude potential intruders.

Identification Keys

 * Cephalotes Species Groups
 * Key to Cephalotes Species
 * Key to US Cephalotes species

Species richness
Species richness by country based on regional taxon lists (countries with darker colours are more species-rich). View Data



Nomenclature

 *  CEPHALOTES [Myrmicinae: Cephalotini]
 * Cephalotes Latreille, 1802a: 357. Type-species: Formica atrata, by monotypy.
 * [Type-species not Formica cephalotes, unjustified subsequent designation by Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 160; corrected by Wheeler, W.M. 1913a: 78.]
 * Cephalotes junior synonym of Cryptocerus: Fabricius, 1804: 419.
 * Cephalotes senior synonym of Cryptocerus: Wheeler, W.M. 1913a: 78; Smith, M.R. 1949c: 19; Kempf, 1951: 107.
 * Cephalotes senior synonym of Eucryptocerus, †Exocryptocerus, Zacryptocerus (and its junior synonyms Cyathocephalus, Cyathomyrmex, Harnedia, Hypocryptocerus, Paracryptocerus): De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 59.
 * CRYPTOCERUS [junior synonym of Cephalotes]
 * Cryptocerus Latreille, 1803: 311. Type-species: Formica atrata, by subsequent designation of Latreille, 1810: 437.
 * [Type-species not Cryptocerus umbraculatus, unjustified subsequent designation by Emery, 1914c: 38; repeated in Emery, 1924d: 305.]
 * Cryptocerus junior synonym of Cephalotes: Wheeler, W.M. 1913a: 78; Smith, M.R. 1949c: 19; see also discussion in Kempf, 1951: 105. [Cephalotes and Cryptocerus share the same type-species, synonymy is therefore absolute.]
 * CYATHOMYRMEX [junior synonym of Cephalotes]
 * Cyathomyrmex Creighton, 1933: 100 [as subgenus of Cryptocerus]. Replacement name for Cyathocephalus Emery, above. [Junior homonym of Cyathocephalus Kessler, 1868: 135 (Cestoda).]
 * Cyathomyrmex subgenus of Paracryptocerus: Smith, M.R. 1949c: 21.
 * Cyathomyrmex junior synonym of Paracryptocerus: Kempf, 1972a: 175.
 * Cyathomyrmex junior synonym of Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 59.
 * EUCRYPTOCERUS [junior synonym of Cephalotes]
 * Eucryptocerus Kempf, 1951: 127. Type-species: Cryptocerus oculatus, by original designation.
 * Eucryptocerus junior synonym of Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 59.
 * †EXOCRYPTOCERUS [junior synonym of Cephalotes]
 * †Exocryptocerus Vierbergen & Scheven, 1995: 159. Type-species: †Exocryptocerus serratus, by original designation.
 * †Exocryptocerus junior synonym of Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 59.
 * HARNEDIA [junior synonym of Cephalotes]
 * Harnedia Smith, M.R. 1949c: 20 [as subgenus of Paracryptocerus]. Type-species: Cryptocerus umbraculatus, by original designation.
 * Harnedia junior synonym of Paracryptocerus: Kempf, 1972a: 175.
 * Harnedia junior synonym of Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 59.
 * HYPOCRYPTOCERUS [junior synonym of Cephalotes]
 * Hypocryptocerus Wheeler, W.M. 1920: 53 [as subgenus of Cryptocerus]. Type-species: Formica haemorrhoidalis, by original designation.
 * Hypocryptocerus raised to genus: Wheeler, W.M. 1936b: 200.
 * Hypocryptocerus junior synonym of Zacryptocerus: Kempf, 1973c: 460.
 * Hypocryptocerus junior synonym of Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 59.
 * PARACRYPTOCERUS [junior synonym of Cephalotes]
 * Paracryptocerus Emery, 1915i: 192 [as subgenus of Cryptocerus]. Type-species: Cryptocerus spinosus, by original designation.
 * Paracryptocerus raised to genus: Smith, M.R. 1949c: 20; Kempf, 1951: 153.
 * Paracryptocerus senior synonym of Cyathocephalus (homonym), Cyathomyrmex, Harnedia: Kempf, 1972a: 175.
 * Paracryptocerus junior synonym of Zacryptocerus: Kempf, 1973c: 460.
 * Paracryptocerus junior synonym of Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 59.
 * ZACRYPTOCERUS [junior synonym of Cephalotes]
 * Zacryptocerus Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 175 (see also footnote). Type-species: Cryptocerus clypeatus, by original designation.
 * [Zacryptocerus Ashmead, 1905b: 384. Nomen nudum. (Based on a non-existent type-species: Cryptocerus multistrigus. Nomen nudum, attributed to Smith, F.).]
 * Zacryptocerus senior synonym of Hypocryptocerus, Paracryptocerus (and its junior synonyms Cyathomyrmex, Cyathocephalus (homonym), Harnedia): Kempf, 1973c: 460.
 * Zacryptocerus junior synonym of Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 59.

Additional References

 * Hespenheide, H.A. 1986.  Mimicry of ants of the genus Zacryptocerus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).  Journal of the New York Entomological Society 94: 394-408.