Key to Dolichoderus groups for workers of Southeast Asia

This worker key is based on: Dill, M. 2002. Taxonomy of the migrating herdsman species of the genus Dolichoderus Lund, 1831, with remarks on the systematics of other Southeast-Asian Dolichoderus. Pp. 17-113 in: Dill, M., Williams, D. J. and U. Maschwitz. 2002. Herdsmen ants and their mealybug partners. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Frankfurt am Main. 557:1-373.

The key is for species in the Oriental Region and New Guinea.

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• Dolichoderus
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1

• Dorsal surface of head and alitrunk with erect hairs . . . . . 2

• Dorsal surface of head and alitrunk void of erect hairs, only with pubescence . . . . . cuspidatus group (in part)

2

return to couplet #1

• Propodeum dorsally expanded to a single, unpaired, high, ± pointed cone (figs. III-32a, III-33) (New Guinea) . . . . . monoceros group

• Propodeum without such an unpaired cone-like structure; with paired spines or unarmed . . . . . 3

3

return to couplet #2

• Propodeum bearing a pair of long, ± straight spines; sculpturing of head and alitrunk alveolate, with regular, deep, cup-shaped cavities with smooth and shining ground, each of which containing an erect hair; SI > 124 (Borneo, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra) . . . . . scabridus group

• Without spines; sculpturing different; SI < 115 . . . . . 4

4

return to couplet #3

• Occipital margin of head, in full face view, mostly concavely emarginate (sometimes very weakly); small to moderately sized species (HW 0.59-1.24 mm, TL < 5 mm); scape at the most with short erect hairs, the longest of which are shorter than the maximum width of the scape; funiculus at least from the second segment upwards void of erect hairs, only bearing a ± dense pubescence; petiole in dorsal view usually compressed, i.e. distinctly broader than long; pronotum in dorsal view in most cases distinctly wider than propodeum (AWI 127-200); CI 89-112; SI 71-113 . . . . . 5

• Occipital margin of head entire, not distinctly concavely emarginate (figs. III-36a to III-41a); moderately sized to large species (HW 0.8-1.7 mm); scape and at least the first four funiculus segments with long erect hairs, the longest of which are longer than the maximum width of the scape; alitrunk plumper (AWI 116-150); shape of head (incl. mandibles) ± rounded triangular; head distinctly wider than long (CI 106-123); SI 95-113; petiole, in dorsal view, rounded, usually hardly wider than long . . . . . sulcaticeps group

5

return to couplet #4

• Medium sized species (HW 0.95- 1.15 mm); propodeum rising high, i.e., viewed in profile, distinctly overtopping the mesonotum (fig. III-18b); ascending dorsal face or propodeum with pilosity only in its upper half (Borneo) . . . . . cuspidatus group (Dolichoderus pilinomas)

• Small to medium sized species (HW 0.59-1.24 mm); propodeum not rising so high; ascending dorsal face of propodeum with pilosity also in its lower half . . . . . thoracicus group