Colobopsis cerberula

This species was described by Emery in 1920 from a winged female taken in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. The description agrees so closely with a lot of females and males which I took at night in Texas Pass, Dragon Mts., Arizona on July 20, 1917, that I regard them as conspecific. I have received specimens of the same sexes also from Sabino Basin, Santa Catalina Mts. and Black Dike Prospect, Sierritas in the same state. Moreover, I believe that three specimens (No. V13b) taken by Dr. Skwarra from spines of Acacia sphaerocephala on the sand dunes near Vera Cruz, represent the hitherto unknown soldier of cerberulus. (Wheeler 1934)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Nomenclature

 *  cerberula. Camponotus (Colobopsis) cerberulus Emery, 1920c: 34 (q.) MEXICO. Wheeler, W.M. 1934g: 214 (s.m.). Combiniation in Colobopsis: Ward, et al., 2016: 350.

Worker
Wheeler (1934) - Soldier Length 5 mm.

Head proportionally larger and broader than in the female, but very distinctly longer than broad, parallel-sided anteriorly (in one specimen expanded at the sharp edge of the anterior truncation). Eyes flattened, fully twice their length from the border of the truncation. Antennal scapes extending a distance equal to their greatest diameter beyond the posterior corners of the head. Mandibles thick and flat, with five stout, subequal teeth. Clypeus one and two-thirds times as long as broad, narrowed in front, the portion behind and bordering the truncation nearly four times as broad as long; frontal area minute, transverse, impressed; frontal carinre straight, strongly diverging behind; frontal groove very delicate anteriorly but terminating on the vertex as a strong, elongate impression. Thorax stout, narrower than the head; in profile impressed at the promesonotal and more deeply and widely at the mesoepinotal suture; the mesonotum convex, distinctly higher than the pro- and epinotum; pronotum from above very broad, convex and semicircularly rounded anteriorly, somewhat less than twice as broad as long; promesonotal suture semicircularly arcuate; mesonotum broadly, transversely elliptical; epinotum as long as broad, rounded-subcuboidal, its base in profile short, feebly convex, somewhat more than half as long as the rather steep, inferiorly concave declivity. Petiolar scale low, thick and nodiform, slightly more than twice as broad as long, nearly as thick above as below, with flattened anterior and posterior surfaces, the thick, transverse superior border strongly impressed in the middle behind. Gaster elongate elliptical. Fore femora incrassated.

Shining and extremely finely shagreened, except the mandibles and anterior two-fifths of the head which are opaque, the former finely punctate-rugulose, the latter foveolate-reticulate.

Hairs white, short, erect, extremely sparse on the posterior portion of the head, absent on the thorax, petiole and appendages. Mandibles and lateral borders of cephalic truncation with very short, stiff, blunt hairs. Pubescence dilute, very short and fine, visible only on the legs and antennae.

Deep piceous brown or black; mandibles, truncated surface and about two-fifths of the head surrounding it, tips of scapes, funiculi, tarsi and sutures of the thorax, petiole and legs, red.

Male
Wheeler (1934) - Length 3 mm.

Head through the eyes broader than long, its posterior border straight in the middle, convex on the sides. Eyes large and convex, ocelli prominent and widely separated. Cheeks rather short, converging anteriorly. Mandibles small, narrow, with acute apical tooth. Clypeus convex and subcarinate in the middle. Antennae slender, with enlarged, pyriform first funicular joint' and short terminal joints. Thorax nearly as broad as the head through the eyes; mesonotum large, high and convex anteriorly, nearly as broad as long; epinotum small, rounded, without distinct base or declivity. Petiolar node lower, narrower than in the soldier, thick and rounded above in profile, without median impression behind. Gaster and legs slender.

Smooth and shining throughout. Pilosity very meager, confined to vertex, posterior portion and tip of gaster; pubescence very fine and sparse on the appendages.

Brown; head black behind; tarsi, mandibles and thoracic sutures yellowish. Wings clear, iridescent, with very pale yellowish veins and pterostigma.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Branstetter M. G. and L. Sáenz. 2012. Las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Guatemala. Pp. 221-268 in: Cano E. B. and J. C. Schuster. (eds.) 2012. Biodiversidad de Guatemala. Volumen 2. Guatemala: Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, iv + 328 pp
 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * Emery C. 1920. Studi sui Camponotus. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 52: 3-48.