Key to Crematogaster kelleri group queens

This queen key is based on: Blaimer, B.B. & Fisher, B.L. 2013. How much variation can one ant species hold? Species delimitation in the Crematogaster kelleri-group in Madagascar. PLoS ONE 8(7): e68082 (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0068082).

A more detailed treatment of the castes of this group can be found here: Crematogaster kelleri group

You may also be interested in:

• Key to Crematogaster kelleri group workers / males
• Key to Crematogaster species groups of the Malagasy region
• Ants of Madagascar
• Crematogaster (genus)
• Crematogaster (subgenus)

1

• Propodeal spines short, or reduced to dents or indistinct tubercules (SPI 0.00–0.07); scapes often not reaching head margin (SI 0.65–0.74) . . . . . 2

• Propodeal spines distinctly spiniform (SPI 0.09–0.10); scapes reaching or surpassing head margin (SI 0.72–0.77) . . . . . Crematogaster tavaratra

2

return to couplet #1

• Metanotum projecting from below scutellum in dorsal (Fig. 11) and lateral view; postpetiole merely with superficial impression (Fig. 12) . . . . . Crematogaster kelleri

Fig 11. Metanotum projecting from below scutellum in dorsal view C. kelleri

Fig 12. Postpetiole with superficial impression C. kelleri

• Metanotum not projecting, covered by scutellum (Fig. 13); postpetiole with shallow but distinct longitudinal impression (Fig. 14) . . . . . 3

Fig 13. Metanotum not projecting in dorsal view, covered by scutellum C. hazolava

Fig 14. Postpetiole with median stripe on longitudinal impression C. hazolava

3

return to couplet #2

• Postpetiole with ‘‘median stripe’’ on longitudinal impression (Fig. 14) . . . . . Crematogaster hazolava

• Postpetiole uniformly colored, without median stripe on longitudinal impression . . . . . Crematogaster madagascariensis