Guardians of the canopy: two new turtle ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Cephalotes ), from Ecuador’s Chocó and Amazonia, revealed by morphology and DNA barcoding

We describe two new species of arboreal ants of the genus Cephalotes Latreille, 1802, from Ecuador: Cephalotes esthelae Ilguan & Troya, sp. nov. and Cephalotes sacha Yumbay & Troya, sp. nov. The former, a member of the pinelii + grandinosus -group, was collected from lowland Chocó and Amazonian forests, while the latter, belonging to the atratus -group, is an inhabitant of the Amazonian region. Diagnoses and detailed morphological descriptions of workers and soldiers are provided, illustrated by high-resolution images. Species identification was further corroborated with mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (CO1) sequences, which confirmed their distinctiveness from morphologically similar congeners. Both species exhibit unique combinations of mesosomal and gastric characters. In addition, we provide the first description of the soldier of the rarely collected C. dentidorsum De Andrade, 1999. These discoveries expand the known diversity of the genus in Ecuador to 33 species, highlighting this region’s role as a hotspot for Neotropical myrmecofauna. A fully illustrated key and checklist of all Cephalotes species known from Ecuador is also presented. The new taxa occur in well-preserved but increasingly threatened forests, ecosystems subject to high rates of deforestation and mining activity, potentially endangering their populations. The integration of molecular and morphological evidence provides a robust framework for delimiting species such as in this morphologically complex and species-diverse genus. We highlight the need for further exploration in understudied regions such as the Chocó and Andean–Amazonian foothills. Continued morphology- and DNA-based research will be crucial to elucidate phylogenetic relationships, assess biogeographic barriers such as the Andes, and inform conservation strategies for Ecuador’s arboreal ant fauna.