Atta cephalotes

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Lesser Antilles, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

Genetics
Atta Cephalotes has had their entire genome sequenced.

Palomeque et al. (2015) found class II mariner elements, a form of transposable elements, in the genome of this ant.

Nomenclature

 *  cephalotes. Formica cephalotes Linnaeus, 1758: 581 (w.) SURINAM. Olivier, 1792: 500 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. 1949: 677 (l.). Combination in Atta: Fabricius, 1804: 421; in Oecodoma: Latreille, 1818: 224. Senior synonym of migratoria: Retzius, 1783: 76; of grossa: Latreille, 1802a: 224; of fervens: Smith, F. 1858b: 180; of visitatrix: Emery, 1892b: 162; of integrior, isthmicola, lutea, oaxaquensis, opaca, polita: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340.
 * migratoria. Formica migratoria De Geer, 1773: 604, pl. 31, figs. 11-13 (w.) SURINAM. Junior synonym of cephalotes: Retzius, 1783: 76.
 * fervens. Formica fervens Drury, 1782: 58, pl. 42, fig. 3 (q.) MEXICO. Junior synonym of cephalotes: Smith, F. 1858b: 180.
 * grossa. Formica grossa Fabricius, 1787: 309 (q.) SURINAM. Junior synonym of cephalotes: Latreille, 1802a: 224.
 * visitatrix. Formica visitatrix Christ, 1791: 517 (w.) SURINAM. Junior synonym of cephalotes: Emery, 1892b: 162.
 * lutea. Atta lutea Forel, 1893e: 587 (s.w.) BARBADOS. Subspecies of colombica: Forel, 1908c: 349. Revived status as species: Borgmeier, 1950d: 259. Subspecies of cephalotes: Weber, 1958a: 10. Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340.
 * integrior. Atta cephalotes var. integrior Forel, 1904c: 31 (w.) BRAZIL. Subspecies of cephalotes: Gonçalves, 1942: 346. Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340.
 * opaca. Atta cephalotes var. opaca Forel, 1904c: 31 (w.) COLOMBIA. Subspecies of cephalotes: Gonçalves, 1942: 345. Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340.
 * polita. Atta cephalotes subsp. polita Emery, 1905c: 54 (w.) BOLIVIA. Raised to species: Borgmeier, 1939: 423. Subspecies of vollenweideri: Borgmeier, 1950d: 243. Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340.
 * isthmicola. Atta cephalotes subsp. isthmicola Weber, 1941b: 127 (w.q.) PANAMA. Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340.
 * oaxaquensis. Atta (Atta) cephalotes subsp. oaxaquensis Gonçalves, 1942: 344 (w.) MEXICO. Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340.