Cephalotes solidus

Identification
An isolate species representing a clade of its own (solidus clade) for the broad and round vertexal angles, for the humeral angles with a short spine, and for the mesonotum and propodeum unarmed. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Key to Cephalotes Workers

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  solidus. Zacryptocerus solidus Kempf, 1974a: 73, figs. 3, 4 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 183.

Worker
Total length 5.4 mm; head length 1.49 mm; head width (eyes included) 1.81 mm; interocular width (maximum width of head between upper border of eyes) 1.62 mm; maximum diameter of eyes 0.46 mm; Weber's length of thorax 1.57 mm; maximum width of pronotum 1.35 mm; hind femur length 1.00 mm; petiole width 0.65 mm; sagittal length of gaster 1.75 mm; width of gaster 1.70 mm. Black, tip of mandibles, frontal carinae (in part), tibiae (except fuscous flexor face of mid and hind tibiae), tarsomeres, and anterolateral border of gaster ferruginous; tip of apical funicular segment pale yellowish brown. Integument opaque, finely reticulate-punctate throughout, with superimposed reticulate-rugose macro sculpture which is very distinct posteriorly and postero-laterally on dorsum of head, on cheeks, on dorsum and sides of thorax (the horizontally coarsely costate sides of pronotum excluded) on dorsum of petiole and postpetiole, on apical half of extensor face of all femora, on extensor face of tibiae; the same reticulate-rugose sculpture is slightly more superficial on tergum I of gaster, and vestigial to obsolete on remaining parts of the body and appendages; underside of the gaster laterally finely longitudinally rugose, the rugae curving mesad in front, lacking entirely on disc of sternum I; mandibles longitudinally costate-rugose; declivous face of propodeum coarsely longitudinally costate. Common, pointed erect to suberect hairs abundant on mandibles, shorter and scarcer on funiculus of antennae which also bear dense appressed pubescence. Short, thick, erect andapically blunt setae scarce, on anterior and lateral margin of frontal carinae, above eyes, on tip of lateral pronotal and petiolar and postpetiolar spines, on tip of femora and tibiae. Remaining hairs scalelike, golden, glittering, appressed and mostly canaliculate, abundant on dorsum of head, dorsum and sides of thorax (except the glabrous sides of pronotum), on dorsum of petiole and postpetiole, on apical half of extensor face of femora and on entire extensor face of tibiae, on dorsum of gaster; very dense, masking entirely the integument, on cheeks which appear plated with gold; rare, simple not canaliculate golden hairs on gular face, on sides and flexor face of femora and tibiae and on sternum I of gaster. Laterotergite of pronotum, declivous face of propodeum, and anterior face of petiole, underside of petiole and postpetiole glabrous. Anterior border of clypeus with the usual comb of dense hairs projecting over the mandibles.

Head broader than long, with strongly anteriorly converging frontal carinae. Clypeal suture vestigial. Sides of head scarcely upturncd above eyes. The latter very large, measuring nearly one third of head length, the anterior orbit reaching the middle of head length. Occipital lobes solid, not foliaceous nor platelike, but with sharply carinate border. Cheeks sharply marginate below. Dorsum of head very gently curved longitudinally, nearly straight and flat transversely. Pronotum anteriorly distinctly marginate, the scapular corners distinct, projecting, visible from above, the sides with a strong projecting first tooth, the second tooth at best vestigial, the third entirely absent. Pro meso notal suture distinct but not conspicuous. Mesonotum laterally unarmed and entirely immarginate. Metanotal suture impressed. Basal face of propodeum likewise unarmed and practically immarginate on sides; declivous face slightly excavated on disc, the sides submarginate. Femora, especially hind femora, not slenderly fusiform but compact, the extensor face, seen in profile is strongly convex and almost angulate in the middle. Petiole with an oblique anterior face, noticeably distinct from the dorsal surface, the sides with a prominent, stout denticle. Postpetiole longitudinally flat, transversely convex, the lateral appendages longer, with a subacute tip. Tergum I of gaster anterolaterally with a platelike prominent margin, which is subtransparent but much narrower than the length of the postpetiole, reaching back on sides of gaster to the vestigial dorsal stigma; anterior half of sides of gaster sharply emarginate, posteriorly half rounded.

de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 5.26-5.56; HL 1.28-1.32; HW 1.64; EL 0.44-0.45; PW 1.28; PeW 0.56-0.60; PpW 0.60-0.63; HBaL 0.51-0.52; HBaW 0.15-0.16; CI 124.2-137.0; PI 128.1; PPeI 213.3-228.6; PPpI 203.2-213.3; HBaI 29.4-30.7.

Type Material
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Worker. Type locality: Colonia Santo Antonio (Manaus, Brazil). Type material: Holotype (unique) worker labelled: "Manaus, AM, Col. Santo Antonio, II-VI-1971, INPA #16, Holotypus", in (examined).