Azteca alfari

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

 *  alfari. Azteca alfari Emery, 1893b: 138, pl. 2, figs. 48, 49 (s.w.) COSTA RICA. Emery, 1896c: 3 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1951: 192 (l.). Senior synonym of breviscapa, cecropiae, curtiscapa, fumaticeps, langi, lucidula, lynchi (and its junior synonym argentina), mixta, virens and material of the unavailable name zonalis referred here: Longino, 1989: 5; senior synonym of bicolor: Longino, 1992: 1575. See also: Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 215; Longino, 2007: 15. [Note: in the older literature the name of this taxon is frequently misspelled as alfaroi, for example Emery, 1896c: 4; Forel, 1899c: 113.]
 * bicolor. Azteca bicolor Emery, 1893b: 141, pl. 2, figs. 54-60 (s.w.q.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of alfari: Longino, 1992: 1575.
 * lucidula. Azteca alfaroi r. lucidula Forel, 1899c: 113 (w.q.m.) GUATEMALA. Raised to species: Forel, 1912h: 51. Subspecies of alfari: Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 222; Kempf, 1972a; 29. Junior synonym of alfari: Longino, 1989: 5.
 * virens. Azteca virens Forel, 1899c: 115 (footnote) (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of alfari: Longino, 1989: 5.
 * cecropiae. Azteca alfari r. cecropiae Forel, 1906d: 240 (w.) BRAZIL. Forel, 1908c: 387 (q.m.). See also: Forel, 1912h: 51; Stitz, 1913: 212. Junior synonym of alfari: Longino, 1989: 5.
 * mixta. Azteca alfari var. mixta Forel, 1908c: 386 (w.q.m.) PARAGUAY. Junior synonym of alfari: Longino, 1989: 5.
 * fumaticeps. Azteca alfaroi var. fumaticeps Forel, 1909a: 250 (w.) MEXICO. Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 218 (q.). Junior synonym of alfari: Longino, 1989: 5.
 * breviscapa. Azteca foreli r. breviscapa Forel, 1912h: 51 (w.) COSTA RICA. [First available use of Azteca foreli r. championi var. breviscapa Forel, 1899c: 112; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of alfari: Longino, 1989: 5.
 * curtiscapa. Azteca alfari var. curtiscapa Forel, 1912h: 51 (w.q.) COSTA RICA. Junior synonym of alfari: Longino, 1989: 5.
 * argentina. Azteca alfari var. argentina Forel, 1914d: 287 (w.) ARGENTINA. Gallardo, 1916a: 115 (q.). Junior synonym of lynchi: Bruch, 1915: 534; Gallardo, 1915: 20.
 * lynchi. Azteca lynchi Brèthes, 1914a: 93 (w.) BOLIVIA. Subspecies of alfari: Bruch, 1915: 534. Senior synonym of argentina: Bruch, 1915: 534; Gallardo, 1915: 20. Junior synonym of alfari: Longino, 1989: 5.
 * langi. Azteca alfari var. langi Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 218 (w.q.m.) GUYANA. Junior synonym of alfari: Longino, 1989: 5.

Worker
Longino (2007) - (n=13): HLA 0.99 (0.80–1.24), HW 0.88 (0.72–1.07), SL 0.60 (0.53–0.72), CI 91 (86–94), SI 62 (58–69).

Palpal formula 5,3; middle and hind tibia with prominent pectinate apical spur; dorsal surface of mandible largely smooth, with sparse small piligerous puncta, setae in puncta short, larger puncta with long setae near masticatory margin; medial and lateral clypeal lobes at about same level, medial lobe at most weakly projecting beyond lateral lobes; head with convex sides, strongly cordate posterior margin; mesosoma in lateral profile with promesonotum forming a continuous convexity or mesonotum somewhat elevated above pronotum; posterior mesonotum drops gradually to narrow metanotal groove such that posterior mesonotum, metanotal groove, and dorsal face of propodeum form a broad, shallow V (dorsal face of propodeum and broad metanotal groove do not form flat, step-like junction with posterior mesonotum); scape and tibia lacking setae, sides of head lacking setae, posterior margin of head with sparse to abundant erect setae, pronotum, mesonotum, and dorsal face of propodeum with conspicuous erect setae, mesonotum usually with about 8 erect setae of relatively uniform length (range 2–17; contrast with A. ovaticeps); color brown to yellow.

Queen
Longino (2007) - (n=21): HLA 1.62 (1.51–1.69), HW 1.32 (1.26–1.43), SL 0.76 (0.71–0.85), CI 83 (80–86), SI 47 (45–51).

Palpal formula 5,3; middle and hind tibia with prominent pectinate apical spur; dorsal surface of mandible largely smooth, with sparse small piligerous puncta, setae in puncta short, larger puncta with long setae near masticatory margin; medial and lateral clypeal lobes at about same level (medial lobe not projecting anteriorly); head weakly quadrate; petiolar node acute, triangular, neither strongly flattened nor bluntly rounded; posteroventral petiolar lobe well-developed, evenly convex; scape and tibia lacking setae, sides of head lacking setae, posterior margin of head with abundant curved setae, pronotum with posterior row of curved setae, mesoscutum with sparse setae, scutellum and propodeum with more abundant setae, petiolar node with cluster of erect setae, third abdominal tergum with abundant erect setae, fourth and fifth abdominal terga with 0–6 erect setae exclusive of posterior row; color light red brown to black.