Cephalotes mompox

Identification
A member of the basalis clade characterised by the strong, longitudinal striae on the posterior face of the femora of the worker. C. mompox is similar to Cephalotes cordiventris, but the worker of Cephalotes mompox can be easily distinguished by the presence of striae on the posterior face of the femora. Since the three species Cephalotes basalis, cordiventris and mompox have been confused in the past, it is very likely that the Colombian specimens of "multispinus", a species of which we did not see Colombian specimens, and mentioned by Kempf (1951) also are mompox.

Key to Cephalotes Workers

Distribution
Colombia and Venezuela.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

 *  mompox. Cephalotes mompox De Andrade, in De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 264, figs. 111, 388 (w.) COLOMBIA.

Worker
Vertexal angles triangular. Vertexal margin concave, only laterally marginate and prolonged backwards as a "neck". Cheeks marginate inferiorly. Frontal carinae upturned over and slightly converging after the eyes. Eyes very large. Anterior clypeal border concave. Mandibles with lateral carinae.

Mesosoma convex in side view. Pronotum in dorsal view with the anterior border convex. Pronotum with a pair of broad lamellae, anteriorly pointed, medially straight and gently converging, and posteriorly round. Mesonotal teeth large and pointed. Pronotal and propodeal sutures in dorsal view impressed laterally only. Propodeum with differentiate basal and declivous faces; basal face with three pairs of teeth, the anterior pair small and obtuse, the median and the posterior pairs long and pointed; declivous face separate from the basal one by a superficial carina; sides of the declivous face converging posteriorly.

Petiole anteriorly truncate. Petiolar sides almost completely occupied by the base of the petiolar spines which are long, pointed and curved backwards. Petiolar dorsum with a superficial transversal carina delimiting the anterior and posterior faces and with another longitudinal carina on the middle. Dorsum of the postpetiole gently convex and with a reduced longitudinal carina on the posterior half only. Postpetiolar spines pointed and arising from the anterior side of the postpetiole.

Gaster round, with a broad, anterolateral lamella surpassing the gastral stigma posteriorly and continuing backwards as a thin carina up to the second third of the tergite.

Fore femora broader than the mid and hind ones. Fore femora dorsally with a marked longitudinal carina. Mid and hind femora with two medial teeth; mid and hind basitarsi laterally compressed and with broad base.

Sculpture. Head dorsum, mesosoma and pedicel minutely reticulate and covered with small foveae, oval and dense on the posterior fourth of the head, on the mesonotum and on the pedicel, sparser on the remaining parts of the head dorsum. Ventral face of the head minutely and superficially reticulate and with superficial, irregular foveae and irregular, thin, longitudinal rugosities, this sculpture less impressed on the ventral part corresponding to the vertexal angles. Dorsal third of the pleurae superficially reticulate and shining. Remaining part of the propleurae, declivous face of the propodeum and anterior half of the mesopleurae minutely reticulate, moderately shining, with rare, superficial foveae and with faint, thin, longitudinal rugosities. Remaining parts of the mesopleurae and metapleurae, distal half of the outer face of femora, outer face of the tibiae and first gastral tergite reticulate and with dense, oval foveae, more superficial on the gastral tergites. Anterior face of the femora, of the tibiae and tarsi superficially reticulate. Posterior face of the femora reticulate, with sparse, superficial foveae and covered with thick, longitudinal rugosities; the same type of sculpture but less impressed on the posterior face of the tibiae. First gastral sternite with superficial reticulation and shining medially. Few, thin, longitudinal rugosities on the sides of the first gastral sternite.

Pilosity. Each fovea with an appressed, thick, canaliculate hair. Border of the frontal carinae, of the pronotum, and legs with erect, short, rare, clavate hairs; similar hairs but slender and longer on the posterior border of the gastral tergites. Gastral sternites with minute, appressed, thin, pointed hairs and with rare, long, erect, thin pointed, hairs.

Colour. Black with the border of the pronotal lamellae and of the gastral lamellae ferruginous. Hairs whitish-golden.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 6.52-7.56; HL 156-1.76; HW 1.98-2.28; EL 0.52-0.60; PW 1.88-2.16; PeW 1.20-1.52; PpW 1.08-1.28; HBaL 0.76-0.86; HBaW 0.29-0.33; CI 125.6-130.8; PI 100.0-108.5; PPeI 134.2-156.7; PPpI 151.6-180.0; HBaI 37.2-38.8

Type Material
Holotype worker labelled: “Sta. Martha, Colombie (Forel)", in .”

Etymology
"Mompox" is the name of one of the Indian tribes of north Colombia.