Cephalotes pallidoides

Identification
A member of the pallens clade differing from its sister species Cephalotes pallidus by the following apomorphies: in the worker, soldier and gyne, sculpture less impressed, femora more inflate, and HBaI ≥ 50 and, in the gyne only, disc with shallower and more regular foveae. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Distribution
Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana, Brazil and Bolivia.

This taxon was described from Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  pallidoides. Cephalotes pallidoides De Andrade, in De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 480, figs. 222-224 (s.w.q.m.) BRAZIL.

Worker
The characters listed below should allow an exhaustive differential comparison with Cephalotes pallidus.

Border of the frontal carinae and of the membranaceous expansions of the mesosoma weakly crenulate. Femora much more incrassate. Mid and hind femora angulate. Mid and hind basitarsi flat, shorter and broader.

Sculpture. Head and mesosoma with shallower foveae, dense or sparse on the frontal carinae, with thin rugosities between the foveae in some specimens only. Ventral part of the head with or without small, irregular foveae separate by short, longitudinal rugosities. Propodeum and pleurae without longitudinal rugosities. Anterior third and sides of the first gastral tergite with shallower foveae. First gastral sternite and legs with more superficial reticulation and foveae.

Pilosity. As in pallidus but with the hairs on the border of the frontal carinae sparser and thinner some specimens with less short, erect, pointed, hairs on the gastral sternites.

Colour. Brown to black with the membranaceous expansions lighter.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 3.79-4.44; HL 0.90-1.00; HW 1.00-1.20; EL 0.23-0.26; PW 0.90-1.1.02; PeW 0.65-0.77; PpW 0.53-0.70; HBaL 0.20-0.26; HBaW 0.11-0.13; CI 111.1-122.2; PI 111.1-123.9; PPeI 124.3-147.8; PPpI 140.0-192.4; HBaI 50.0-61.9.

Soldier
Differing from pallidus in the following characters.

Border of the cephalic disc less crenulate. Disc flat to gently convex medially. Vertexal angles and pronotal carina less crenulate. Sides of the basal face of the propodeum with two pairs of slightly round swellings. Gastral lobes less protruding. Femora more incrassate. Mid and hind femora dorsally more angulate.

Sculpture. Body foveae more regular. Foveae of the head dorsum approaching more the borders of the disc. Internal border of the disc with a narrow punctate area without rugosities. Some specimens with the head completely covered by a thick layer of probable camouflage material. Sides of the head more regularly foveolate. Ventral part of the head with thinner rugosities. Mesosoma, pleurae and pedicel with less impressed punctures and foveae. Gaster and legs with more superficial reticulation, foveae and rugosities.

Pilosity. Sides of the head disc, pronotum, pedicel, gaster and legs with sparser, clubbed hairs. Each fovea of the mesosoma, pedicel, gaster and legs with an appressed hair. Gastral sternites with less, short, erect, pointed, hairs.

Colour. Brown to black.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 5.08-5.64; HL 1.36-1.56; HW 1.22-1.48; EL 0.31-0.34; PW 1.16-1.34; PeW 0.64-0.75; PpW 0.60-0.71; HBaL 0.23-0.25; HBaW 0.13-0.14; CI 89.7-97.4; PI 105.2-114.5; PPeI 181.2-194.2; PPpI 174.6-212.7; HBaI 50.0-61.5.

Queen
Differing from the soldier in the following characters. Floor of the disc flat posteriorly, declivous and with raised border anteriorly. Vertexal depression deeper. Humeral angles obtuse. Pronotal carina lower. Pronotum, mesonotum and scutellum flat. Sides of the basal face of the propodeum anteriorly convex and posteriorly with a pair of minute denticles slightly diverging externally.

Anterior face of the petiole more oblique and gently concave medially. Petiolar sides with a pair of small denticles. Postpetiolar sides with a pair of expansions variably developed, round apically or, sometimes, bearing a pair of minute denticles pointed backwards.

Gastral lobes more protruding.

Legs as in the soldier.

Sculpture. As in the soldier but the foveae cover the whole disc. Foveae on the mesosoma variably impressed. Foveae on the propodeum slightly smaller. Upper mesopleurae and center of the lower mesopleurae foveolate, the foveae denser and deeper on the upper mesopleurae.

Pilosity. As in the soldier except for the slightly denser clubbed hairs on the mesosoma, pedicel, gaster, and legs.

Colour. As in the soldier.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 7.22-7.84; HL 1.48-1.64; HW 1.32-1.52; EL 0.36-0.39; PW 1.32-1.48; PeW 0.52-0.66; PpW 0.62-0.74; HBaL 0.32-0.37; HBaW 0.18-0.20; CI 89.2-92.7; PI 100.0-109.1; PPeI 212.9-253.8; PPpI 180.1-212.9; HBaI 50.0-59.4.

Male
Differing from pallidus in the following characters. Frontal carinae lower. Clypeus convex posteriorly, straight or with a superficial incision anteriorly. Pronotum in dorsal view with the sides diverging backwards; lateral margination of the pronotum variably developed.

Sculpture. Head dorsum minutely reticulate; posterior third of the head dorsum irregularly foveolate-rugose; frons with sparse, small foveae and thin, longitudinal rugosities. Sides of the head in front of the eyes and area between the scapes with thin, transversal rugosities. Ventral part of the head, mesosoma and pedicel as in pallidus except for the presence of longitudinal rugosities on the declivous face of the propodeum; rugosities on the mesopleurae more impressed. Gaster subopaque to shining.

Pilosity as for the other species of the group.

Colour. Black with lighter pedicel and gaster. Coxae and two proximal thirds of the femora brown. Remaining parts of the legs dark yellow.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.46-5.17; HL 0.71-0.75; HW 0.88-0.96; EL 0.35-0.40; PW 0.88; PeW 0.39; PpW 0.43-0.47; HBaL 0.39-0.46; HBaW 0.07-0.08; CI 123.9-12 8.0; PI 100.0-109.1; PPeI 225.6; PPpI 187.2-204.6; HBaI 17.4-17.9.

Type Material
Holotype soldier from Brazil labeled: Utiariti (325 m), Rio Papagaio, Mato Grosso, Brasil, VII.1961, K. Lenko. Paratypes: 8 workers, 1 male, same data as the Holotype, all.

Etymology
Pallidoides is a neologism indicating the close relationship between this species and pallidus.