Key to Indian species of Lepisiota

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online

This key to workers of Indian species of Lepisiota is based on Wachkoo et al. (2021) as modified by Harshana & Dey (2022).

1

  • Antennal scape long, surpassing posterior margin of head by half its length or more (Figs 5, 11, 35) => 2

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 5.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 11.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 35.jpg

  • Antennal scape shorter, surpassing posterior margin of head by a third of its length or less (Figs 2, 14, 23) => 4

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 2.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 14.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 23.jpg

2

return to couplet #1

  • Bicolored, head and gaster dark brown to black, mesosoma reddish brown (Fig. 5) => Lepisiota bipartita

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 5.jpg

  • Uniform reddish-brown or black-brown (Figs 11, 35) => 3

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 11.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 35.jpg

3

return to couplet #2

  • Reddish-brown to dark brown; petiolar scale with distinctly angular sides, dorsally emarginate with teeth-like apical corners (Figs 11–12) => Lepisiota integra

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 11.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 12.jpg

  • Black-brown; petiolar scale with smoothly curved sides, dorsally rounded and narrow, without teeth (Figs 35–36) => Lepisiota sericea

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 35.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 36.jpg

4

return to couplet #1

  • Bicolored, mesosoma paler than gaster, mainly or entirely reddish (Figs 8, 26, 29) => 5

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 8.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 26.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 29.jpg

  • Uniformly dark brown to black (Figs 2, 14, 38) => 10

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 2.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 14.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 38.jpg

5

return to couplet #4

  • Body shiny to subopaque, weakly sculptured with superficial microreticulate sculpturing at most (Figs 26–27) => 6

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 26.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 27.jpg

  • Body dull, coarsely sculptured, general appearance opaque (Figs 9, 30) => 8

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 9.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 30.jpg

6

return to couplet #5

  • Body with scanty pilosity; posterior margin of head with 2–3 erect setae, dorsum of pronotum with 2–4 long erect setae, mesonotum with 1–2 erect setae, metanotum lacks erect setae and propodeum with 0–1 erect setae (Fig. 1A) => Lepisiota binghami

Harshana, A., Dey, D. 2022. Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Lepisiota in India with description of four new species (10.1080@00305316.2022.2125096), Fig. 1.jpg

  • Body with abundant pilosity; posterior margin of head with 4–5 erect setae or more, dorsum of pronotum with more than 10 long erect setae, mesonotum with four or more erect setae, metanotum with two or more erect setae, and propodeum with 4–6 or more erect setae (Figs 2A, 3A) => 7

Harshana, A., Dey, D. 2022. Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Lepisiota in India with description of four new species (10.1080@00305316.2022.2125096), Fig. 2.jpg Harshana, A., Dey, D. 2022. Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Lepisiota in India with description of four new species (10.1080@00305316.2022.2125096), Fig. 3.jpg

7

return to couplet #6

  • Smaller species (HL 0.58–0.59, WL 0.83–0.85); body with appressed pubescence (Fig. 2) => Lepisiota pusaensis

Harshana, A., Dey, D. 2022. Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Lepisiota in India with description of four new species (10.1080@00305316.2022.2125096), Fig. 2.jpg

  • Larger species (HL 0.80–0.83, WL 1.12–1.21); body with semi-erect pubescence (Fig. 3) => Lepisiota satpuraensis

Harshana, A., Dey, D. 2022. Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Lepisiota in India with description of four new species (10.1080@00305316.2022.2125096), Fig. 3.jpg

8

return to couplet #5

  • Head reticulate-striate; propodeal spines blunt, directed backward; petiole dorsally emarginate (Figs 7–9) => Lepisiota fergusoni

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 7.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 8.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 9.jpg

  • Head reticulate-punctate; propodeal spines pointed, directed upward; petiole dorsally bispinose (Figs 28–30) => 9

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 28.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 29.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 30.jpg

9

return to couplet #8

Harshana, A., Dey, D. 2022. Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Lepisiota in India with description of four new species (10.1080@00305316.2022.2125096), Fig. 8.jpg

Harshana, A., Dey, D. 2022. Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Lepisiota in India with description of four new species (10.1080@00305316.2022.2125096), Fig. 8.jpg

10

return to couplet #4

  • Propodeal spines indistinct; gastral pilosity restricted to few pairs of black setae on the posterior margin of tergites (Figs 32, 38) => 11

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 32.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 38.jpg

  • Propodeal spines well-developed as two broadly-based blunt tubercles, teeth or spines; whole gastral dorsum covered with abundant pale setae (Figs 2, 14, 17) => 12

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 2.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 14.jpg

11

return to couplet #10

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 32.jpg

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 38.jpg

12

return to couplet #10

  • Body abundantly covered with long, erect white setae (Fig. 14) => Lepisiota layla

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 14.jpg

  • Body covered with usual short erect setae (Figs 17, 20, 23) => 13

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 17.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 20.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 23.jpg

13

return to couplet #12

  • Petiole dorsally emarginate without distinct teeth or spines; mesosomal setae (if any) restricted to pronotum (Figs 2–3) => Lepisiota annandalei

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 2.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 3.jpg

  • Petiole dorsally distinctly bispinose; setae present across entire mesosomal dorsum (Figs 17, 20, 23) => 14

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 17.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 20.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 23.jpg

14

return to couplet #13

  • Head and pronotum smooth and shiny; propodeal spines as two broadly-based blunt tubercles (Figs 22–23) => Lepisiota modesta

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 22.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 23.jpg

  • Head and pronotum either microreticulate or microreticulate with feeble striations; propodeal spines pointed or blunt (Figs 16, 20) => 15

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 16.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 20.jpg

15

return to couplet #4

  • Head and mesosoma microreticulate with feeble striations (Fig. 4B–C); propodeal spines blunt (Fig. 4A) => Lepisiota wilsoni

Harshana, A., Dey, D. 2022. Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Lepisiota in India with description of four new species (10.1080@00305316.2022.2125096), Fig. 4.jpg

  • Head and mesosoma microreticulate; propodeal spines pointed => 16

16

return to couplet #15

  • Antennal scape with sparse appressed to decumbent pubescence; mesosomal setae sparse; smaller species (HW 0.51–0.57) (Figs 16–18) => Lepisiota lunaris

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 16.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 17.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 18.jpg

  • Antennal scape with dense subdecumbent to suberect pubescence; mesosomal setae abundant; larger species (HW 0.60–0.69) (Figs 19–21) => Lepisiota mayri

Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 19.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 20.jpg Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H. et al. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota from India (10.20363@BZB-2021.70.2.227), Fig. 21.jpg

References