Plagiolepis

These small, inconspicuous ants nest in soil under rocks or logs or in rotten wood on the ground. They occur in mallee and savannah woodland through dry and wet sclerophyll and into rainforests where they forage on the ground as well as on tree trunks. While they are often common they are frequently overlooked because of their small size (the largest workers are less than 3.0mm long and many workers are less than 2.0mm). They are general predators and will tend Hemiptera on vegetation and under bark.



Worker of Plagiolepis from Queensland.

Identification
The antennae are 11 segmented (including the scape). The scapes surpass the rear margin of the head by less than one-quarter their length. The eyes have more than 20 facets (ommatidia) in their greatest diameter. The propodeum is rounded and lacks teeth or protuberances.

Members of Plagiolepis are small ants (maximum size about 2mm) with a compact, stocky body. They can be separated from other Australian formicines by their 11 segmented antennae which have the second and third segments of the funiculus (counting from the scape) each much shorter than the fourth segment, and their long palps which have a palp formula of 6:4 (the outer or maxillary palps with 6 segments, the inner or labial palps with 4 segments). They are most often confused with species of Doleromyrma and Tapinoma (both in the Dolichoderinae) and Acropyga because of their similar overall body size and shape.

Distribution and Habitats
Australian distribution



Regional Species Lists

 * Australia

Keys to Species

 * Australia