Cephalotes cordatus

Koch et al. (2018) sampled this species in Caryocar barsiliense trees, in southeastern Brazil cerrado, as part of a study examining species interactions in ant-plants.

Identification
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - A member of the depressus clade characterised, in the worker and in the soldier, by the pronotum with a pair of continuous, slightly convex lamellae and by the meso- and metapleurae densely covered with thick hairs, and, in the gyne, by an incomplete disc, by the mesopleurae densely covered with thick hairs and by a low pronotal crest.

The specimens examined exhibit a great variation in body shape, particularly in the shape of the head and of the pronotum in dorsal view. The Amazonian specimens don't seem to differ significantly from the typical specimen from Para in MHNG. The extremes of variation we observed can be typified by the following examples: three workers from Chapada differ from the typical cordatus for the gaster with thin hairs; another worker from Chapada and one from Rio Madeira, Camp. 39, differ for the pleurae with few, thick hairs; three workers from Rio Madeira, two workers from Chapada, a worker from Sinop, a worker from Reserva Ducke and a worker from Alto Paraiso, Goias differ from the typical cordatus for the humeral angles more round and for the peduncular segments more broad. A worker from Gama and one from Vilhena have the vertexal angles without lamellae. The soldiers from Rio Madeira and Utiariti have the frontal carinae slightly converging over the eyes and the pronotal sides more convex. The soldiers from Reserva Florestal Ducke and Piaui have the frontal carinae slightly converging in front of the eyes and the sides of the disc weakly carinate. A soldier from Satipo (Peru) differs from typical ones for the pronotal sides more convex, for the pronotal carinae reduced, for the gaster oval and long and for the peduncular segments narrow.

Distribution
Colombia, French Guiana, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru.

Nomenclature

 *  cordatus. Cryptocerus cordatus Smith, F. 1853: 220, pl. 21, fig. 3 (w.) BRAZIL. Emery, 1894c: 202 (s.). Combination in Paracryptocerus: Kempf, 1951: 213; in Zacryptocerus: Brandão, 1991: 385; in Cephalotes: Baroni Urbani, 1998: 326; De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 317. Senior synonym of boliviensis: Kempf, 1951: 213.
 * boliviensis. Cryptocerus cordatus var. boliviensis Santschi, 1921h: 126, fig. 2 (w.q.) BOLIVIA. Junior synonym of cordatus: Kempf, 1951: 213.

Worker
Kempf (1951) - Length 5.5 mm. Black; the following ferruginous: frontal carinae, occipital lobes, lateral border of pronotal lamellae, tip of epinotal and peduncular spines.

Head broader than long, sides slightly diverging caudad. Frontal carinae distinctly crenulate, expanded and somewhat upturned above the eyes, the anterior half with projecting setulae within the notches. Lateral pronotal lamellae broad, broadest in front, anterior corner subangulate, sides scarcely convex, broadest in front, distinctly converging caudad. Mesonotum with an acute lateral tooth. Sides of epinotum with an anterior plate-like, recurved spine and a posterior, shorter, triangular tooth, usually somewhat removed forward from the posterior corner of the declivous face. anterior border of the petiole evenly rounded, including the spines, which are truncate at apex. Postpetiolar spines curving forward at base, recurved at apex, truncate. Gaster slightly elongate, cordiform.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.80-6.04; HL 1.12-1.38; HW 1.48-1.80; EL 0.40- 0.48; PW 1.40-1.72; PeW 1.04-1.20; PpW 0.82-1.10; HBaL 0.42-0.52; HBaW 0.15-0.20; CI 127.5-136.0; PI 103.6-107.2; PPeI 134.5-150.0; PPpI 151.8-195.6; HBaI 35.7-38.8.

Soldier
Kempf (1951) - Length 7.2 mm. Black; the tibiae and tarsi fuscous-ferruginous. Head subquadrate. Anterior corners rounded, posterior corners obliquely truncate and crested. Frontal carinae crenulate, slightly upturned in front of, somewhat emarginate above, the eyes. Upper surface of head scarcely convex, very finely punctate, coarsely foveolate, subfulgid. Vertex with a median transverse bidentate crest, and a lateral oblique carina between each denticule and the sides of the head. Occiput truncate. Lower border of occiput scarcely emarginate mesally. Thorax subfulgid, finely reticulate. Shoulders vestigial. Pronotum greatly expanded at the sides, with a strong transverse crest above, notched, but scarcely interrupted mesally. Mesonotum finely, but sharply reticulate-punctate, with a blunt lateral lobe. Mesoepinotal suture impressed, slightly arcuate caudad. Basal face of epinotum with a conspicuous postero-lateral lobe, which bears an upturned tubercular tooth above on the posterior corner. Upper surface and sides of thorax rather densely foveolate. Upper half of declivous face scaled and foveolate. Petiole and postpetiole as in worker, slightly stouter. All foveolae contain a golden, scale-like hair.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 7.30-8.68; HL 1.80-2.12; HW 2.28-2.56; EL 0.48-0.58; PW 2.24-2.60; PeW 1.14-1.40; PpW 1.10-1.28; HBaL 0.52-0.62; HBaW 0.25-0.27; CI 115.4-126.7; PI 92.1-103.4; PPeI 172.7-203.2; PPpI 190.0-210.0; HBaI 43.3-48.1.

Queen
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head subquadrate, dorsally convex and with an incomplete disc. Frontal carinae strongly crenulate, expanded anteriorly, converging posteriorly before the eyes and straight posteriorly up to the vertexal angles. Vertexal angles slightly truncate and with minutely crenulate margin. Vertex with a pair of well developed, median teeth connected each other by a superficial carina continuing laterally as a thin margin until the frontal carinae. Mandibles with a thick lateral carina.

Mesosoma. Scapular angles short but visible in dorsal view. Humeral angles with a pair of broad, obtuse, lamellaceous teeth converging posteriorly. Pronotal carina superficially marked and interrupted in the middle by a superficial impression. Mesonotum and scutellum flat in side view. Lower mesopleurae with a n obtuse tooth. Basal face of the propodeum short. Sides of the basal face of the propodeum with two pairs of teeth subequal in size. Declivous face of the propodeum narrowing posteriorly.

Petiole with concave anterior border and anteriorly declivous dorsally; anterior half of the petiolar sides diverging into a pair of teeth, the posterior half converging posteriorly. Postpetiole broadly convex dorsally; its sides with a pair of broad spines arising from the anterior border and curved backwards.

Gaster marginate up to the stigma, slightly protruding anteriorly.

Legs. Fore coxae angulate. Hind femora angulate. Mid and hind basitarsi compressed laterally, their proximal part broader than the distal one.

Sculpture. Dorsum of the head, of the pronotum, of the mesonotum and of the scutellum minutely punctate and with small foveae variably clumped, shallower on the frontal carinae. Ventral part of the head with sculpture similar to the one on the dorsum but slightly shining and with the foveae larger and deeper. Basal face of the propodeum, pedicel and mesopleurae with oval, dense, foveae. Propleurae reticulate and with foveae on the dorsal and on the anterior thirds; propleurae with additional longitudinal, thin rugosities on the posterior half. Metapleurae reticulate and with foveae on the centre and on the anterior half of the higher part and with additional, longitudinal, thin rugosities on the ventral part. Outer face of coxae with rare, thin, rugosities, transversal on the fore coxae and longitudinal on the mid and hind coxae. Gaster and legs reticulate. Anterior and posterior thirds of the first gastral tergite, posterior half of the remaining tergites, outer face of the distal part of the femora and outer face of the tibiae with irregular, dense, superficial foveae, larger on the anterior third of the first gastral tergite.

Pilosity. Body with four types of hairs: (1) thick, appressed, originating from the foveae; (2) thinner and shorter than those originating from the foveae on the legs and on the gaster; (3) clavate, suberect on the frontal carinae, on the mesosoma, on the pedicel, on the gaster and on the legs, longer on the posterior border of the gastral tergites and sternites; (4) sparse, thin, long, slightly pointed on the gastral sternites.

Colour. Black. Frontal carinae dark ferruginous. Tibiae dark orange to ferruginous.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 9.00; HL 1.68; HW 194; EL 0.49; PW 1.92; PeW 1.02; PpW 1.24; HBaL 0.60; HBaW 0.28; CI 115.5; PI 101.0; PPeI 188.2; PPpI 154.8; HBaI 46.7.

Type Material




de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999):

Worker. Type locality: Santarem (Para, Brazil). Type material: presumably lost (neither in nor in ). We regard as adelphotype (i. e. a specimen originating from the same series as the type but not seen by the author of the original description, a worker in labelled as follows: first label: "Cotype" [printed], second label: "Cryptocerus cordatus Sm., Para" [probable handwriting of Guerin], third label: "Sp. C. cordatus, Sm." [handwriting of Guerin], fourth label: "Coll. Forel."  printed].

Cryptocerus cordatus var. boliviensis. Worker and gyne. Type locality: Rio Guapay (Bolivia). Type material 1 worker, 1 gyne labelled "Bolivie, Rio Guapay, Lizer et Deletang" in, examined.