Key to Axinidris

This worker key is based on: Snelling, R. R. 2007. A review of the arboreal Afrotropical ant genus Axinidris. Pages 551-579 in Snelling, R. R., B. L. Fisher and P. S. Ward. Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Homage to E.O. Wilson - 50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 80.

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Axinidris

1

 * Propodeal ridge cariniform or absent; pronotal dorsum evenly rounded at sides . . . . . 2
 * Propodeal ridge compressed and strongly elevated, axiniform (Fig. 11); pronotal dorsum submarginate at side (Sudan; Kenya) . . . . . Axinidris acholli

2
return to couplet #1
 * Pronotum and antennal scape shaft without erect hairs; gastral terga usually without erect hairs . . . . . 3
 * Pronotum with at least two erect hairs (caution: one or both, if only two are normally present, may be broken off or lying on the surface); antennal scape shaft and gastral terga with or without erect hairs . . . . . 10

3
return to couplet #2
 * Medial carina present at least on posterior half of dorsal face & at least slightly elevated at summit of declivity; propodeal spines various, but often more elongate and with surface between them concave in dorsal view . . . . . 4
 * Medial carina absent from entire length of dorsal face; propodeal spines triangular in dorsal view and surface between them straight . . . . . Axinidris bidens

4
return to couplet #3
 * Pronotal dorsum conspicuously imbricate and only slightly shiny; mesonotum, mesepisternum and propodeum duller, finely and contiguously punctate; dorsal surfaces with abundant prostrate pubescence; distance between outer margins of propodeal spines subequal to width of propodeum at spiracles . . . . . 5
 * Pronotum and mesepisternum smooth and shiny, contrasting sharply with finely and contiguously punctate propodeum; pronotum with scattered prostrate pubescence; distance between outer margins of propodeal spines much less than width of propodeum at spiracles . . . . . 7

5
return to couplet #4
 * Vertex without erect hairs; gastral terga without erect hairs . . . . . 6
 * Vertex with one pair of short erect hairs below dorsal margin; gastral terga 3 and 4 each with several erect hairs (Liberia) . . . . . Axinidris occidentalis 

6
return to couplet #5
 * Head longer than broad; head and body dark brown, lower half of clypeus, mandibles, most of scape yellowish red; meso- and metatarsi whitish (Kenya) . . . . . Axinidris icipe
 * Head broader than long; head and body black, hypostomal area, head below, mandibles and legs reddish black; tarsi dark yellowish red (Kenya) . . . . . Axinidris kakamegensis 

7
return to couplet #4
 * Propodeal carina low and right-angular to obtuse in profile (Figs. 17, 18) . . . . . 8
 * Propodeal carina elevated and acute in profile (Malawi; South Africa) . . . . . Axinidris tridens

8
return to couplet #7
 * At least fourth gastral tergum with at least 2 erect hairs; head and body light to dark brown . . . . . 9
 * Third and fourth gastral terga without erect hairs; head and mesosoma light reddish, petiole and first gastral segment yellowish (Central African Republic) . . . . . Axinidris mlalu

9
return to couplet #8
 * Hypostomal area without erect or suberect hairs; longest hair on fourth tergum about 0.10mm long and vertex hair about 0.66 x length of that on frontal lobe (Kenya; Cameroun) . . . . . Axinidris okekai
 * Hypostomal area with several short erect and suberect hairs; longest hair on fourth tergum about 0.06mm long and longest vertexal hairs about 0.60 x length of that on frontal lobe (Namibia) . . . . . Axinidris namib

10
return to couplet #2
 * Propodeum without medial carina and lateral spines virtually absent in dorsal view; pronotum with one pair of long erect hairs and propodeal spines each with similar hair; clypeal notch broad and shallow (CNI less than 75) . . . . . 11
 * Propodeum with distinct medial carinae which, at summit of declivity, is usually a low obtuse lobe, less often sharply elevated or dentiform; pilosity various, but usually not as above; clypeal notch relatively narrow, CNI usually over 100, but if as little as 80, then medial carina sharply defined . . . . . 12

11
return to couplet #10
 * Head and body medium to dark brown; gena distinctly finely imbricate; larger species, HW consistently over 0.50mm (Ghana; Cameroun; Kenya) . . . . . Axinidris bidens
 * Head and body light reddish yellow, gaster sometimes slightly darker; gena smooth and shiny, sometimes weakly imbricate; smaller species, HW usually less than 0.50mm, but may range up to 0.52mm (Liberia; Democratic Republic of Congo; Kenya) . . . . . Axinidris hypoclinoides

12
return to couplet #10
 * Distance between outer margins of propodeal spines, in dorsal view, equal to or exceeding width of propodeum at spiracles; pronotum dull and closely pubescent, surface coarsely imbricate or punctate . . . . . 13
 * Distance between outer margins of propodeal spines, in dorsal view, distinctly less than width of propodeum at spiracles and/or pronotum shiny and sparsely pubescent, surface weakly imbricate . . . . . 14

13
return to couplet #12
 * Erect hairs of head and mesosoma brown, coarse and seta-like; propodeal spines short, no longer than thick in profile (Ghana) . . . . . Axinidris nigripes
 * Erect hairs of head and mesosoma yellowish and fine, not seta-like; propodeal spines distinctly longer than thick in profile (Kenya) . . . . . Axinidris luhya

14
return to couplet #14
 * Mesonotum either smooth and shiny between several short longitudinal rugae or slightly shiny and coarsely rugulose . . . . . 15
 * Mesonotum moderately shiny, anteriorly finely imbricate, posteriorly duller and densely punctulate . . . . . 16

15
return to couplet #14
 * Mesonotum smooth and shiny between short longitudinal rugae; head and body light reddish brown (Tanzania)  . . . . . Axinidris stageri
 * Mesonotum slightly shiny and coarsely rugulose; head and body dark brown (South Africa)  . . . . . Axinidris lignicola

16
return to couplet #14
 * Scape shaft with fine prostrate pubescence, but no suberect to erect hairs; front of head, exclusive of clypeus, with six hairs (two along each frontal carina and two on upper frons) . . . . . 17
 * Scape shaft with at least one or two short erect hairs in addition to appressed pubescence; front of head, exclusive of clypeus, with two hairs along each frontal carina and four or more on frons . . . . . 19

17
return to couplet #16
 * Distance between outer margins of propodeal spine apices distinctly less than width of propodeum at level of spiracles; frons and vertex moderately shiny, weakly imbricate and with scattered weak punctures; gaster concolorous with mesosoma . . . . . 18
 * Distance between outer margins of propodeal spine apices at least equal to width of propodeum at level of spiracles; frons and vertex weakly shiny, contiguously finely punctate and strigulate; mesosoma brown, gaster yellowish red (Ghana) . . . . . Axinidris palligastrion

18
return to couplet #17
 * Medial carina broadly rounded in profile; second gastral tergum moderately shiny and densely punctate (Republic of Congo) . . . . . Axinidris denticulata
 * Medial carina subacute in profile; second gastral tergum shiny between sparse punctures (Ghana) . . . . . Axinidris ghanensis

19
return to couplet #16
 * Pronotum with at least two fully erect hairs in addition to humeral pair; frons slightly shiny to shiny, varying from finely colliculate to weakly coriarious and scabriculous . . . . . 20
 * Pronotum with only two long fully erect hairs, one at each humerus; frons shiny, varying from smooth to obscurely coriarious (Gabon) . . . . . Axinidris gabonica

20
return to couplet #19
 * Scape shaft distinctly with six or more short erect hairs; frons slightly shiny, finely colliculate to imbricate . . . . . 21
 * Scape shaft with only one or two very short erect hairs; frons shiny, weakly coriarious (Nigeria)  . . . . . Axinidris kinoin

21
return to couplet #20
 * Body color reddish yellow; gaster yellow, similar in color to posterior portion of petiole (Ghana) . . . . . Axinidris hylekoites
 * Entire head and body reddish brown, gaster darker than posterior portion of petiole (Cameroun; Ghana; Kenya)  . . . . . Axinidris murielae