Key to Nesomyrmex species groups of the Afrotropical region

This worker key is modified from: Hita Garcia, F., N. Mbanyana, T.L. Audisco, and G.D. Alpert. 2017. Taxonomy of the ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in the Afrotropical region, with a review of current species groups and description of a new species of the N. angulatus group from Mozambique. European Journal of Taxonomy. 258:1–31. (DOI:10.5852/ejt.2017.258).

The identification key to species groups is loosely based on Bolton (1982) and Mbanyana & Robertson (2008), and also incorporates ideas from Snelling (1992).

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• Nesomyrmex
• Diagnosis of Nesomyrmex species groups of the Afrotropical and Malagasy regions

1

• Antennae with 11 segments (Fig. 2A); petiolar node and postpetiole with conspicuous and very well developed lateral spines (Fig. 2B) . . . . . Nesomyrmex cataulacoides group

• Antennae with 12 segments (Fig. 2D); petiolar node and postpetiole never with conspicuous and very well developed lateral spines as above, at most petiolar node with small, lateral denticles (Fig. 2C, E–F) . . . . . 2

Fig. 2. Part of head in full-face view showing the antennae (antennal segments are counted in Roman numerals) and dorsum of mesosoma. A–B. Nesomyrmex cataulacoides (Snelling, 1992) (CASENT0172593, CASENT0178301). C. N. humerosus (Emery, 1896) (CASENT0906196). D. N. evelynae (Forel, 1916) (CASENT0178298). E. N. stramineus (Arnold, 1948) (CASENT0922011). F. N. braunsi (Forel, 1912) (CASENT0909209).

2

return to couplet #1

• Anterior clypeal lobe short, flat-margined, and never convex, lobe with a small median triangular projection (Fig. 3A); pronotum anterodorsally sharply marginate, with sharp, dentate corners (Fig. 2C); petiole barrel-shaped with very weakly developed, short and triangular petiolar node (Fig. 3B) . . . . . Nesomyrmex humerosus group

• Anterior clypeal lobe always conspicuously developed, usually convex and variably rounded, sometimes flat, but never with a small median triangular projection (Fig. 3C); pronotum anterodorsally either rounded or weakly marginate but without sharp, dentate corners (Fig. 2E–F); petiole variably shaped, but never as above, usually with very well developed petiolar node (Fig. 3D) . . . . . 3

Fig. 3. Anterior cephalic dorsum (white ellipse around anterior clypeus) and body in profile. A–B. N. humerosus (Emery, 1896) (CASENT0906196). C. N. angulatus (Mayr, 1862) (CASENT 0235552). D. N. angulatus (Mayr, 1862) (CASENT0922010).

3

return to couplet #2

• Propodeal spines present and conspicuous, usually long and narrow, in profile distinctly longer than their basal width (Fig. 4A–B); hairs on dorsum of mesosoma always present, short, and blunt (Fig. 4A–B) . . . . . Nesomyrmex angulatus group

• Propodeal spines usually absent (Fig. 4D), if present, then very short and broad, in profile no longer than their basal width (Fig. 4C); hairs on dorsum of mesosoma variably developed: usually long, fine and acute, sometimes absent, and only very rarely short and blunt . . . . . Nesomyrmex simoni group

Fig. 4. Body in profile. A. Nesomyrmex evelynae (Forel, 1916) (CASENT0178298). B. N. angulatus (Mayr, 1862) (CASENT0922010). C. N. simoni (Emery, 1895) (CASENT0904790). D. N. braunsi (Forel, 1912) (CASENT0909209).