Cephalotes liogaster

Identification
A member of the fiebrigi clade differing from its sister species ‘’Cephalotes lanuginosus’’ in the worker, soldier and gyne by the smaller and less protruding eyes and by the more shining gaster. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Distribution
This taxon was described, and is only known, from Argentina.

Nomenclature

 *  liogaster. Cryptocerus liogaster Santschi, 1916e: 381, fig. (w.) ARGENTINA. Combination in Paracryptocerus (Harnedia): Kempf, 1958a: 25; in Zacryptocerus: Brandão, 1991: 386; in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 658. Senior synonym of fides: Kempf, 1958a: 25.
 * fides. Cryptocerus lobigaster var. fides Santschi, 1925e: 162 (s.w.q.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of liogaster: Kempf, 1958a: 25.

Worker
Kempf (1958) - 4.4-5.2 mm. 1. Sculpture of first gastral tergite superficial to obsolete; integument always shining, often quite smooth. 2 . Thoracic and peduncular teeth or spines usually more acute, peduncular spines more reflexed caudad, especially in shinier specimens. 3. Postpetiole middorsally often, not always, acuminate as in fiebrigi. 4. First gastral tergite in general longer, with less convex sides and more pronounced anterolateral lobes. 5. Standing hair slightly longer, less crowded; scalelike, appressed hair more delicate and shorter, masking to a lesser degree the integument.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.32-5.16; HL 0.98-1.16; HW 1.06-1.26; EL 0.26-0.30; PW 0.92-1.12; PeW 0.51-0.60; PpW 0.54-0.59; HBaL 0.35-0.47; HBaW 0.09-0.12; CI 105.3-108.6; PI 107.1-116.7; PPeI 180.4-211.3; PPpI 170.4-196.5; HBaI 25.5-26.7.

Soldier
Kempf (1958) - Length 6.0-7.8 mm. 1. Head disc, shoulders, tips of posterior epinotal teeth, extensor face of tibiae yellowish-brown. Frequently, especially in larger, full-grown soldiers, the light color extends over the entire promesonotum and sometimes also the epinotum. In this case, the first gastral tergite is marked by four yellowish spots, variable in size, one at each corner. 2. Posterior epinotal teeth shorter, their tips never raised, but pointing obliquely caudad. 3. Peduncular spines more reflexed at apex. 4. Gaster more elongate, finely and densely punctate, but always shining.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 7.68-7.80; HL 1.68-1.76; HW 1.76-1.92; EL 0.33-0.34; PW 1.68-1.82; PeW 0.75-0.8; PpW 0.71-0.84; HBaL 0.44-0.52; HBaW 0.14-0.16; CI 104.8-109.1; PI 104.8-105.5; PPeI 224.0-227.5; PPpI 216.7-236.6; HBaI 30.8-31.8.

Queen
Kempf (1958) - Length 7.8-9.1 mm. 1. Head disc predominantly yellowish-brown. The same color prevails on the extensor face of the tibiae, the pronotum and also on the scutum, with the exception of two lateral and often one median black streaks on the latter. First gastral tergite with the customary four large testaceous spots, one at each corner. 2. Peduncular spines more recurved, the postpetiole narrower and longer, the anterior border of the gaster more deeply excised. 3. First gastral tergite finely but densely sculptured, the integument nevertheless quite shining.

Females of this species sometimes exhibit a striking variability in coloration and development of head disc, a phenomenon commonly observed only in the soldier caste. Two specimens, measuring 7.8 and 8.0 mm, have the head disc indistinctly marginate posterolaterally, in front of the occipital lobes. One specimen is rather dark, the light color being restricted to the border of the head disc, the tips of the scapular angles, the tibiae and the four spots on the gaster. A single winged specimen has the wings infuscated with dark brown veins. The fore wing measures 7.1 mm, and extends well beyond the posterior end of the gaster, when folded over the back.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 8.92-9.56; HL 1.64-1.76; HW 1.64-1.80; EL 0.36-0.39; PW 1.68-1.72; PeW 0.73-0.75; PpW 0.84-0.88; HBaL 0.58-0.64; HBaW 0.16-0.17; CI 100.0-102.3; PI 97.6-104.6; PPeI 229.3-230.1; PPpI 195.4-200.0; HBaI 25.0-29.3.

Type Material
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) –

Worker. Type locality: Estacion Sosa (Entre Rios, Argentina). Type material: 3 syntype workers in (examined).

Cryptocerus lobigaster var. fides. Worker, soldier and gyne. Type locality: Fives Lille (Santa Fe, Argentina). Type material: 4 workers, 4 soldiers and 1 gyne, all syntypes in NHMB (examined); 1 worker labelled as paratype in, examined; additional syntype material presumably in the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Buenos Aires (not seen).