Key to Aphaenogaster European testaceopilosa-group workers

This worker key is based on:

Identifications should be preferably based on several specimens from the same colony, if possible of all three castes.

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Aphaenogaster

1

 * Antennal club 5-segmented. Base of gaster on dorsal side with (some) transverse microstriae . . . . . 2


 * Antennal club 4-segmented. Base of gaster on dorsal side with longitudinal microstriae, sometimes absent (A. spinosa, A. semipolita) . . . . . 3

2
return to couplet #1
 * PSLWI < 0.92. RPSI 0–14 (5). Propodeum dentate, these ‘teeth’ triangular. Spain (Andalusia, Baleares) . . . . . Aphaenogaster gemella


 * PSLWI > 0.95. RPSI 11–44 (30). Propodeal spines slender. Iberia, Slovakia, France (Mediterranean region) . . . . . Aphaenogaster senilis

3
return to couplet #1
 * Propodeum with thorns or spines . . . . . 4


 * Propodeum angulate, without spines or thorns. Italy (S), Malta . . . . . Aphaenogaster inermita

4
return to couplet #3
 * Majority of a nest population with long and sturdy propodeal spines: PSI-mean 208 . . . . . 5


 * Propodeal spines shorter, never sturdy: PSI-mean 163 . . . . . 6

5
return to couplet #4 tergite with microstriae, matt; sometimes glossy. Iberia. . . . . Aphaenogaster iberica
 * SI/CI > 1.96. In general at least 80% of the whole dorsal side of first gastral


 * SI/CI < 2.01. Microstriae on dorsal side of first gastral tergite in general restricted to the base, sometimes on the whole gaster, remainder shiny. Occiput, lateral sides of head, gaster and petiole nearly always shiny. Switzerland, Italy (N + S, Sardinia), France (Corsica) . . . . . Aphaenogaster spinosa

6
return to couplet #4
 * In lateral view: pronotum and mesonotum forming a uniformly curved line . . . . . 7


 * In lateral view: pronotum slightly angular, not forming a uniformly curved line with the mesonotum. Mesosoma shiny. Greece (Crete, Karpathos) . . . . . Aphaenogaster simonellii

7
return to couplet #6
 * Only lateral sides of head may be glossy. Head and mesosoma without smooth areas. Greatest part of head and mesosoma glossy to shiny. Dorsal side of first gastral tergite matt to wax glossy. Length of propodeal spines in relation to the distance between their tips longer: RPSI-mean > 40 . . . . . 8


 * Parts of head and mesosoma glossy to shiny and partly smooth. Dorsal side of first gastral tergite wax glossy to glossy. Length of propodeal spines in relation to the distance between their tips shorter: RPSI-mean 35. Italy . . . . . Aphaenogaster semipolita

8
return to couplet #7
 * Longitudinal rugulae on propodeum absent or at most in small part of the workers . . . . . 9


 * Longitudinal rugulae on propodeum mainly present. Setae on lateral sides of head, above the eyes, in full face view, longer than the maximum diameter of the scape. Propodeal spines in lateral view horizontal to slightly erected: SPL-mean 1.7. Albania, Italy . . . . . Aphaenogaster campana

9
return to couplet #8
 * Rugulose sculpture on the dorsal side of the mesosoma coarse or weak. Head narrower: CI-mean < 76. Scapes longer: SI-mean > 146. SI/CI-mean > 192 . . . . . 10

regions), Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia . . . . . Aphaenogaster picena
 * Rugulose sculpture on the dorsal side of the mesosoma mainly absent, largely weakly scabriculous, if present then transverse weakly rugulae on propodeum. Head wider: CI-mean 81. Scape shorter: SI-mean 135. SI/CI-mean 167. Italy (Adriatic

10
return to couplet #9
 * Head wider. Mainly matt, with some shine from the punctation. Lateral sides of petioles at least matt glossy. Terminal side of propodeum, beneath the propodeal spines glossy, punctation absent or weak . . . . . 11


 * Head narrower. Mainly matt, without any shine from the punctation. Lateral sides of petioles mainly matt. Terminal side of the propodeum, beneath the propodeal spines matt, punctation distinctly. Greece (Rhodes, Ikaria) . . . . . Aphaenogaster sporadis

11
return to couplet #10
 * SI/CI-mean < 198. PPPI-mean < 52. SImean < 149 . . . . . 12


 * SI/CI-mean 215. PPPI-mean 55. SI-mean 158. Greece (Karpathos) . . . . . Aphaenogaster karpathica

12
return to couplet #11
 * RPH-mean < 141. SPL/SPD-mean > 2.4 . . . . . 13


 * RPH-mean 148. SPL/SPD-mean 1.3. Malta . . . . . Aphaenogaster melitensis

13
return to couplet #12
 * Setosity relatively short. PSI-mean 184. RPH-mean 126. RPSI-mean 55. Scattered short setae on the mesopleura. Greece (Crete) . . . . . Aphaenogaster balcanicoides


 * Setosity longer. PSI-mean < 156. RPH-mean > 138. RPSI-mean < 42. Short setae on the mesopleura limited to some short setae against the metapleura. Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Greece, Turkey . . . . . Aphaenogaster balcanica