Key to Southeast Asian Plagiolepis species

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Key to the Southeast Asian species of Plagiolepis based on worker caste (from Phosrithong et al., 2024).

1

  • Dorsum of head finely striate and matt (Figs. 3–4) => 2
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 3–4. Plagiolepis workers, head in full-face view. 3 – P. chomphuphuangi (holotype, THNHM-I-00018330); 4 – P. silpaarchai (holotype, THNHM-I-27222).
  • Dorsum of head smooth and shiny (Figs. 11–14) => 3
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 11–14. Plagiolepis workers (syntypes), head in full-face. 11 – Plagiolepis bicolor (CASENT0909845); 12 – Plagiolepis demangei (CASENT0912417); 13 – Plagiolepis exigua (CASENT0101305); 14 – Plagiolepis adynata (CASENT0917319).

2

return to couplet #1

  • Dorsum of mesosoma entirely punctate (Fig. 6); setae on dorsa of pronotum and gastral tergites relatively long, usually longer than maximum width of antennal scape; pronotum and first gastral tergite with erect setae (Fig. 7); posterior margin of head almost straight or feebly concave (Fig. 4) => Plagiolepis silpaarchai
  • Dorsum of mesosoma entirely smooth and shiny (Fig. 5); setae on dorsa of pronotum and gastral tergites relatively short, usually shorter than maximum width of antennal scape; pronotum and first gastral tergite with suberect setae (Fig. 1); posterior margin of head weakly convex (Fig. 3) => Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 1–2. Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi, holotype worker (THNHM-I-00018330). 1 – body in profile view; 2 – body in dorsal view.
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 3–4. Plagiolepis workers, head in full-face view. 3 – P. chomphuphuangi (holotype, THNHM-I-00018330); 4 – P. silpaarchai (holotype, THNHM-I-27222).
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 5–6. Plagiolepis workers, Mesosoma in dorsal view. 5 – P. chomphuphuangi (holotype, THNHM-I-00018330); 6 – P. silpaarchai (holotype, THNHM-I-27222).
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 7–8. Plagiolepis silpaarchai, holotype worker (THNHM-I-27222). 8 – body in profile view; 9 – body in dorsal view.

3

return to couplet #1

  • Head and mesosoma yellow to yellowish brown (Figs. 15, 17, 18) => 4
  • Head and mesosoma black to dark brown (Figs. 16, 19, 20) => 6
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 15–18. Plagiolepis workers (syntypes), body in profile view. 15 – P. exigua (CASENT0101305); 16 – P. demangei (CASENT0912417); 17 – P. bicolor (CASENT0909845); 18 – P. adynata (CASENT0917319).
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 19–20. Plagiolepis workers (syntypes), in profile view. 19 – P. rogeri (CASENT0909857); 20 – P. demangei (CASENT0912417).

4

return to couplet #3

  • Gaster darker (dark brown) than head and mesosoma (Fig. 17) => Plagiolepis bicolor
  • Gaster same colour as in head and mesosoma (Figs. 15, 18) => 5
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 15–18. Plagiolepis workers (syntypes), body in profile view. 15 – P. exigua (CASENT0101305); 16 – P. demangei (CASENT0912417); 17 – P. bicolor (CASENT0909845); 18 – P. adynata (CASENT0917319).

5

return to couplet #4

  • Scape short (SL 0.27), not reaching posterior margin of head in full-face view (Fig. 13) => Plagiolepis exigua
  • Scape longer (SL 0.33) and surpassing posterior margin of head in full-face view (Fig. 14) => Plagiolepis adynata
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 11–14. Plagiolepis workers (syntypes), head in full-face. 11 – Plagiolepis bicolor (CASENT0909845); 12 – Plagiolepis demangei (CASENT0912417); 13 – Plagiolepis exigua (CASENT0101305); 14 – Plagiolepis adynata (CASENT0917319).

6

return to couplet #3

  • Mesosoma dorsum without erect setae (Fig. 19) => Plagiolepis rogeri
  • Mesosoma dorsum with sparse to dense erect setae (Fig. 20) => 7
  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 19–20. Plagiolepis workers (syntypes), in profile view. 19 – P. rogeri (CASENT0909857); 20 – P. demangei (CASENT0912417).

7

return to couplet #6

  • Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 11–14. Plagiolepis workers (syntypes), head in full-face. 11 – Plagiolepis bicolor (CASENT0909845); 12 – Plagiolepis demangei (CASENT0912417); 13 – Plagiolepis exigua (CASENT0101305); 14 – Plagiolepis adynata (CASENT0917319).
  • Head slightly longer than broad; entire body dark coffee brown to black => Plagiolepis nitida

References

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