Cephalotes adolphi

This rare species is known on two workers only: the holotype from Coxipo and a second one collected recently not very far from the type locality. (de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999)

Identification
A member of the angustus clade differing from its sister species, Cephalotes dentidorsum, in the worker by the less shining body, opaque and with more impressed sculpture; the difference between the two micro sculptures is particularly impressive on the gaster.

Distribution
Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil.

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 *  adolphi. Cryptocerus adolphi Emery, 1906c: 172, fig. 33 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Paracryptocerus (Harnedia): Kempf, 1958a: 86; in Zacryptocerus: Brandão, 1991: 384; in Cephalotes: De Andrade & Baroni Urbani, 1999: 733. See also: Kempf, 1960f: 439.

Worker
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Head gently convex above, broader than long. Frontal carinae diverging backwards, incised in front and upturned above eyes. Vertexal angles bearing a subtruncate, broad, superficially crenulate lamella. Vertexal margin concave and marginate. Clypeal suture superficially impressed. Mandibles with a thin, short lateral carina.

Mesosoma declivous posteriorly. Scapular angles visible in dorsal view. Pronotal sides with a pair of pointed, triangular teeth followed by a pair of broad, stout, triangular lobes pointed upwards; apex of the pronotal lobes pointed and with a third minute denticle posteriorly. Promesonotal suture superficially impressed on the sides. Propodeum sloping backwards, with weakly differentiate basal and declivous faces; declivous face superficially concave in the middle and as long as the basal one. Propodeal sides with 4 pairs of pointed denticles, the first and the third pairs subequal and shorter, the second pair much longer, the fourth pair minute.

Petiole with oblique anterior face, with a pair of denticles dorsally and a pair of long, pointed, spines laterally. Postpetiole slightly broader than petiole; its node gently convex; postpetiolar spines long, thin, directed forwards at the base and curved at the apex.

Gaster oval. Anterolateral gastral border with a semitransparent lamella not surpassing the stigma posteriorly.

Hind femora without angles or denticles. Mid and hind basitarsi with subparallel sides.

Sculpture. Head dorsum minutely punctate and covered by small, round, superficial, variably clumped foveae, absent on the frontal carinae. Ventral part of the head superficially and minutely reticulate and with shallower, oval foveae on the anterolateral parts. Mesosoma, pleurae, pedicel, outer face of the femora and of the tibiae minutely and superficially punctate and with dense, oval foveae, sparser on the pleurae, shallower on the pedicel, on the outer face of the femora and of the tibiae. First gastral tergite with deep reticulation and covered by dense, superficial, oval foveae similar to those of the mesosoma but smaller. Remaining gastral segments and parts of the legs reticulate, the reticulation absent on the posterior half of the first gastral sternite.

Pilosity. Each fovea with an appressed canaliculate hair. Mandibles, border of the frontal carinae, sides of the postpetiole, posterior half of the first gastral tergite, and legs with rare, suberect, subclavate hairs. Posterior border of the gastral tergites and sternites with truncate hairs, rare on the sternites. Sternites with long, sparse, pointed hairs.

Colour. Light brown lighter on the frontal carinae, on the anterior third of the first gastral tergite, on the femora and on the tibiae.

Measurements (in mm) and indices: TL 4.00; HL 1.04; HW 1.26; EL 0.32; PW 0.95; PeW 0.64; PpW 0.68; HBaL 0.40; HBaW 0.08; CI 121.1; PI 132.6; PPeI 148.4; PPpI 139.7; HBaI 20.0.

Type Material
de Andrade and Baroni Urbani (1999) - Worker. Type locality: Coxipo (Mato Grosso). Type material a worker (holotype) labelled “Coxipu, IX.900, typus”, in, examined.