Cephalotes hirsutus

Identification
A member of the wheeleri clade the worker of which differs from all the other species of the clade for possessing the following autapomorphy: body with dense, thick, long, appressed hairs with golden reflexes. C. hirsutus and Cephalotes insularis both share the postpetiolar spines subequal in length to the postpetiole and the border of the first gastral tergite yellowish and transparent. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Key to Cephalotes Workers

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Nomenclature

 *  hirsutus. Cephalotes hirsutus De Andrade, in De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 589, fig. 274 (w.) MEXICO.

Worker
Vertexal angles round, with superficially crenulate border. Vertexal border straight and not marginate medially. Hypostoma not connected by a bridge. Cheeks feebly marginate dorsally. Frontal carinae with a superficial incision over the eyes. Antennal scrobes reaching the antero-ventral border of the eyes. Clypeal border concave. Mandibles with superficial lateral carinae.

Mesosoma convex in profile. Pronotum in dorsal view with the anterior border not marginate and convex. Scapular angles absent or not visible in dorsal view. Pronotum with three pairs of lateral teeth, the first, humeral, short and pointed, followed by another pair subequal in length or smaller, variably pointed and by a third, shorter, broad, obtuse or round pair close to the mesonotum. Sides of the mesonotum converging posteriorly and unarmed. Promesonotal and propodeal sutures superficially marked only on the sides in dorsal view. Propodeum continuously sloping posteriorly, without distinctly differentiated basal and declivous faces, with a pair of pointed, thin spines directed laterally and slightly upwards at midlength.

Petiole anteriorly truncate; its anterior border marked by a transversal carina variably impressed. Petiolar spines on the middle of the petiolar sides, ca. half as long as the petiole, thin, and pointing backwards. Postpetiole broader than petiole, with thin, pointed spines slightly shorter than the postpetiole, arising anterolaterally and curved backwards at the base.

Gaster oval, without crest, lobe or lateral margin.

Hind and mid femora without angle or denticles; mid and hind basitarsi long and without flat and broad base.

Sculpture. Head dorsum reticulate, with dense, irregular foveae divided by thick, reticulation, sometimes forming longitudinal, irregular rugosities. Frontal carinae superficially reticulate. Ventral face of the head reticulate and irregularly striato-rugose. Mesosoma and pedicel reticulate, with foveae separated by irregular, longitudinal striae and rugae. Sides of the mesosoma with the same sculpture as the dorsum, but with rare foveae. Upper metapleurae with or without striae on the. First gastral tergite and sides of the first gastral sternite with longitudinal, thin rugosities, more superficial and irregular posteriorly in some specimens Anterolateral borders of the first gastral tergite and central part of the first sternite superficially reticulate and shining. Legs reticulate, with slightly shining femora. Outer face of the tibiae with oval and superficial foveae.

Pilosity. Body with four types of hairs: (1) sparse, long, erect and truncate on the head, on the mesosoma, on the pedicel, on the gastral tergites and on the legs; (2) similar to type (1) but thinner and shorter on the gastral sternites; (3) canaliculate, long, appressed, thick and dense, on the head, on the dorsum of the mesosoma, on the pedicel, on the first gastral tergite and on the extensor face of the legs; (4) similar to the type (3) but thinner and shorter on the middle of the first gastral tergite, on the first gastral sternite and on the anterior and posterior faces of the legs.

Colour. Black. Frontal carinae yellowish orange and semi-transparent. Fore legs with tibiae and tarsi ferruginous. Femora and tarsi of the mid and hind legs black. Tibiae and tarsomeres of the mid and hind legs dark ferruginous with the tarsomeres lighter. Border of the first gastral tergite yellowish and transparent. Some specimens with the antero lateral border of the first gastric tergite with a pair of oval, orange-reddish spots. Golden reflexes due to the pilosity on most of the body including the appendages.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.58-4.92; HL 1.08-1.14; HW 1.18-1.26; EL 0.32-0.34; PW 0.96-1.08; PeW 0.53-0.57; PpW 0.68-0.68; HBaL 0.52; HBaW 0.11; CI 109.0-110.5 PI 116.7-122.9; PPeI 181.1-1 89.5; PPpI 143.3-158.8; HBaI 21.1.

Type Material
Holotype worker from 4.6 mi E of Chupaderos, Sinaloa, Mexico, 22.8.1964, E. I. Schlinger; paratypes 3 workers, same data as the holotype, all in.

Etymology
Hirsutus in Latin means hairy, referred to the abundant pilosity of this species.