Cephalotes persimilis

Identification
A member of the grandinosus clade differing from its sister species Cephalotes persimplex, in the worker and soldier by the body hairs longer and thinner, and, in the gyne, by the frontal carinae crenulate and with denser hairs and in the worker, soldier and gyne of C. persimilis having smaller and more regular foveae on the cephalic dorsum. The male of  Cephalotes persimilis is almost of the same size of the gyne, a condition unique among all other known Cephalotes males so far and approaching the condition Procryptocerus where the males are regularly slightly larger than the gynes. The persimilis males exhibit another remarkable character: the inflated femora as they are known for males of the members of the laminatus and pusillus clades and for Procryptocerus. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Key to Cephalotes Workers

Distribution
Guyana, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay.

Nomenclature

 *  persimilis. Cephalotes persimilis De Andrade, in De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 441, figs. 201-204 (s.w.q.m.) BRAZIL.

Worker
Head subquadrate; frons gently convex. Frontal carinae covering the sides of the mandibles and slightly upturned above the eyes; border of the frontal carinae superficially crenulate. Vertexal angles membranaceous, with an obtuse margin converging and narrowing before the middle of the vertexal border. Mandibles with thick lateral carina.

Mesosoma gently convex. Scapular angles absent or not visible in dorsal view. Anterior pronotal border straight; pronotal sides with a broad, gently concave membranaceous expansion, anteriorly angulate and narrowing posteriorly. Promesonotal suture superficially impressed or absent. Mesonotum with two pairs of triangular, membranaceous teeth, the anterior pair longer, thicker and broader than the posterior one. Propodeal suture impressed. Declivous face of the propodeum gently sloping backwards. Basal and declivous propodeal faces with a broad membranaceous expansion starting from the anterior part of the basal face and strongly projected anteriorly, almost reaching the mesonotal spines forwards and broadening backwards.

Petiole with a concave anterior face laterally marked by a small pair of obtuse denticles; petiolar dorsum sloping anteriorly. Sides of the petiole with a broad, gently concave, wing-shaped, membranaceous expansion with round tip. Postpetiole slightly convex dorsally; postpetiolar sides with another broad, wing-shaped, membranaceous expansion with round tip.

Gaster and legs as in persimplex.

Sculpture. Head dorsum with dense, small foveae diminishing in size and less impressed anteriorly. Frontal carinae with faint, sparse, superficial foveae and with longitudinal rugosities. Ventral face of the head reticulate and with thin, superficial, longitudinal rugosities. Mesosoma with irregular foveae superimposed by longitudinal, irregular rugosities. Pedicel with the same type of sculpture as on the mesosoma but with smaller foveae. Gaster and legs strongly reticulate; thin, irregular, longitudinal rugosities on the anterior third of the first gastral tergite and on the legs. Membranaceous expansion of mesosoma, pedicel and gaster punctate and with thin, longitudinal rugosities.

Pilosity. Each fovea with a decumbent or an appressed hair; similar hairs but not originating from the foveae on the membranaceous expansions of the body. Legs and gaster with appressed hairs thinner and shorter than the hairs originating from the foveae. Frontal carinae anteriorly and over the eyes, and posterior part of the gastral segments with rare to sparse, clubbed hairs. The gastral sternites bear, in addition, a few long, thin, slightly pointed hairs.

Colour. Body light brown. Frontal carinae opaque, yellow. Membranaceous expansions whitish and semi-transparent. Tarsi brown.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 3.52-4.56; HL 0.83-1.08; HW 0.95-1.24; EL 0.26-0.29; PW 0.87-1.16; PeW 0.56-0.76; PpW 0.55-0.76; HBaL 0.22-0.3 1 ; HBaW 0.09-0.15; CI 113.6-115.9; PI 105.6-107.4; PPeI 150.8-160.7; PPpI 149.2-163.6; HBaI 40.0-48.4.

Soldier
Head disc subquadrate, with the border differentiate, sparsely and superficially crenulate and raised on the sides only; sides of the disc parallel or broadening anteriorly, covering or not the eyes. Posterior border of the disc with a pair of small denticles. Floor of the disc gently convex in the middle. Vertexal angles obtuse to pointed, completely separate from the disc and with marked, crenulate border. Mandibles laterally carinate and laterally hidden by the frontal carinae.

Mesosoma. Anterior pronotal border gently convex. Humeral angles with a short or broad, obtuse, membranaceous expansion with straight sides posteriorly up to the middle of the pronotal sides where it continues into the pronotal carina. Posterior half of the pronotal sides strongly converging. Pronotal carina high, each half posteriorly convex and diminishing in height towards the middle of the pronotum. Pronotal suture impressed. Promesonotal suture deeply impressed. Mesonotal sides with a pair of broad, triangular, obtuse or pointed teeth followed by a pair of thin, pointed, membranaceous denticles. Propodeum with differentiate basal and declivous faces; sides of the basal face with a narrow, crenulate, membranaceous expansion, forming cranially a pair of obtuse teeth directed anteriorly and followed by a convexity converging posteriorly into a pair of small denticles. Declivous face of the propodeum narrowing posteriorly and with a broad, membranaceous expansion.

Pedicel and legs as in persimplex.

Gaster oval, with a pair of lobes protruding anteriorly and bearing narrow membranaceous expansions.

Sculpture. Head dorsum superficially punctate, slightly shining and with foveae with diameter smaller than their interspaces and diminishing in size anteriorly. Ventral face of the head punctate and with anastomosing, superficial foveae denser over the sides. Mesosoma and pedicel with the same type of sculpture as the posterior part of the head dorsum but with denser foveae, the foveae smaller on the propodeum and on the pedicel. Declivous face of the propodeum, gaster and legs reticulate; few longitudinal, thin rugae on the declivous face of the propodeum and on the anterior third of the first gastral segment. Center of the first gastral sternite superficially shining.

Pilosity. Each fovea with an appressed hair. Legs and gaster with appressed hairs thinner and shorter than the hairs originating from the foveae. Frontal carinae, vertexal angles, mesosoma, pedicel with sparse, clubbed hairs; similar hairs but shorter on the gaster. The sternites bear, in addition, a few long, thin, slightly pointed hairs.

Colour. As in the worker.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.38-5.60; HL 1.04-1.28; HW 1.22-1.48; EL 0.27-0.32; PW 1.20-1.44; PeW 0.57-0.77; PpW 0.58-0.80; HBaL 0.22-0.33; HBaW 0.12-0.16; CI 115.5-121.4; PI 95.7-104.7; PPeI 185.5-217.5; PPpI 180.0-210.2; HBaI 40.9-48.5.

Queen
Head disc present. Head dorsum convex with gently concave anterolateral sides. Frontal carinae crenulate, expanded anteriorly, converging posteriorly and connected by a slightly convex carina on the vertex. Vertex with a superficial depression between the pair ocelli. Vertexal angles obtuse and with crenulate margin. Eyes visible in full dorsal view. Ocelli remote from the posterior border of the head disc. Anterior clypeal border concave. Mandibles with a lateral carina and partially hidden by the frontal carinae.

Mesosoma. Anterior pronotal border gently convex. Humeral angles with or without a pair of small, obtuse, membranaceous teeth converging posteriorly and connected with a narrow pronotal carina. Pronotal sides posterior to the angles straight. Promesonotal suture impressed. Lower mesopleurae with a denticle. Mesonotum and scutellum flat. Propodeum with differentiate basal and declivous faces; sides of the basal face convex and ending in a round tooth posteriorly; declivous face converging posteriorly and with a narrow membranaceous border on the posterior half.

Pedicel, gaster and legs as in pcrsimplex.

Sculpture. Head dorsum with dense, deep, round foveae diminishing in size anteriorly. Interspaces between the foveae minutely punctate and shining. Ventral part of the head and propleurae with superficial, irregular, anastomosing foveae, the foveae denser on the ventral sides of the head. Pronotum, propleurae, mesonotum and scutellum minutely reticulate and foveolate, the foveae sparser on the mesonotum and on the propleurae. Basal face of the propodeum, mesopleurae and pedicel superficially reticulate and with dense, small foveae, the foveae rare on the middle of the lower mesopleurae. Declivous face of the propodeum, metapleurae, gaster and legs reticulate; few longitudinal rugosities on the declivous face of the propodeum, on the upper and lower parts of the metapleurae and on the anterior third or anterior half of the first gastral tergite, the latter also with sparse piligerous foveae.

Pilosity. Each fovea with a decumbent or appressed hair. Legs and gaster with appressed hairs slightly thinner than the hairs originating from the foveae, sparser on the sternites. Prontal carinae wilh spars e, clubbed hairs. Gastral tergites and sternites with slightly clubbed, suberect hairs, denser on the sternites. The gastral sternites bear, in addition, a few long, thin, slightly pointed hairs.

Colour. Light brown. Frontal carinae yellowish-opaque. Tarsi brown. First gastral tergite with a pail: of dark brown maculae on the middle of the dorsum faintly connected medially in some specimens.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 6.60-8.40; HL 1.16-1.56; HW 1.20-1.64; EL 0.32-0.37; PW 1.08-1.56; PeW 0.55-0.75; PpW 0.70-0.90; HBaL 0.40-0.50; HBaW 0.15-0.18; CI 101.3-105.9; PI 104.2-111.1; PPeI 196.4-226.7; PPpI 154.3-188.9; HBaI 34.1-40.0.

Male
Head (eyes included and mandibles excluded) 1/2 broader than long. Vertexal angles gently convex in d orsal view. Frontal carinae marginate or not, not surpassing the first ocellus and diverging posteriorly. Frons flat. Clypeus posteriorly convex and almost straight anteriorly. Mandibles strongly carinate. Scapes thick, twice longer than the first funicular joint; remaining funicular joints thickening from the base to the apex.

Mesosoma. Pronotal sides slightly diverging and carinate. Mesonotum and scutellum almost flat in side view; median Mayrian furrow superficially impressed. Propodeum slightly lower than the rest of the mesosoma, with differentiate basal and declivous faces; basal face and anterior part of the declivous face convex; propodeal sides each with a thin lateral carina converging posteriorly.

Pedicel convex and very broad. Petiole slightly narrower than the postpetiole and with concave anterior face; petiole and postpetiole arched laterally.

First gastral tergite almost twice as broad as the maximum postpetiolar width.

Legs with femora relatively inflated.

Sculpture. Head punctate, irregularly foveolate on the posterior fourth, with oblique rugosities on the vertexal angles, longitudinal between the ocelli until the frontal carinae, transversal in front of the eyes and between the scapes. Ventral part of the head punctate, irregularly foveolate-rugulose, the rugae oblique around the eyes and irregularly longitudinal on the middle. Pronotum, mesonotum and scutellum superficially and minutely reticulate, subopaque, sparsely and superficially foveolate and longitudinally rugose, the rugae generally thin, more impressed on the Mayrian furrows and on the scutellum. Propodeum minutely reticulate, shining or not, with thick longitudinal rugosities prolonging backwards. Pedicel minutely reticulate-punctate, superficially shining and completely covered by longitudinal rugosities. Pleurae moderately shining and longitudinally rugose, the rugae less impressed on the metapleurae and on one specimen on the lower part of the mesopleurae as well. Gaster and legs almost completely shining.

Pilosity. Body with long, flexuous hairs, sparser on the gaster and on the legs. Gaster and legs with additional hairs subdecumbent to decumbent, shorter than the flexuous ones. Funiculi densely covered by thin, short, decumbent hairs; similar hairs but thinner, sparser and slightly longer on the legs and on the gaster.

Colour. Black. Pedicel, gaster and legs brown.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 6.00-6.84; HL 0.80-0.84; HW 1.04-1.08; EL 0.42-0.43; PW 1.00-1.20; PeW 0.65-0.71; PpW 0.72-0.77; HBaL 0.50-0.53; HBaW 0.11-0.13; CI 128.6-130.0; PI 90.0-104.0; PPeI 153.8-169.0; PPpI 138.9-155.8; HBaI 22.0-24.5.

Type Material
Holotype soldier, Tanquinho, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil, 08.XII.1953, C. R. Goncalves ; paratypes 1 worker, 1 soldier, same data as the holotype MZSP.

Etymology
From the Latin persimilis = very similar (Cicero), referred to the great similarity between this species and C. grandinosus.