Key to Carebara workers of China

This key is based on: [[Media:Xu 2003.pdf| Xu, Z. 2003. A systematic study on Chinese species of the ant genus Oligomyrmex Mayr. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica. 28:310-322. PDF]]. At the time of this study, the genus Carebara was not consolidated as it is today and its species were divided between a number of genera. This key was made for the group of Carebara species that were included in the genus Oligomyrmex hence does not include all the species of Carebara currently known from China.

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 * Key to Carebara soldiers of China
 * Carebara
 * China

1

 * Antenna 11-segmented . . . . . 2


 * Antenna 9-segmented . . . . . 4

2
return to couplet #1
 * Head nearly square, as long as broad. Eyes present each with 2 facets (Figs. 7-8) (China: Yunnan Province) . . . . . Carebara altinoda


 * Head nearly rectangular, distinctly longer than broad. Eyes absent . . . . . 3

3
return to couplet #2
 * Occipital margin evenly concave. Lateral sides of head evenly convex. Propodeum without dents (Fig.4) (China: Macao; Vietnam) . . . . . Carebara capreola


 * Occipital margin slightly concave in the middle. Lateral sides of head straight. Propodeum with a pair of acute dents (Figs. 11-12) (China: Yunnan Province) . . . . . Carebara curvispina

4
return to couplet #1
 * Propodeum dentate . . . . . 5


 * Propodeum rounded or obtusely angled, not dentate . . . . . 8

5
return to couplet #4
 * Body smaller with TL 0.8-0.9 mm. Dorsum of propodeum weakly depressed (Figs. 18-19) (China: Yunnan Province) . . . . . Carebara acutispina


 * Body larger with TL > 1.0 mm. Dorsum of propodeum evenly convex . . . . . 6

6
return to couplet #5
 * Body larger with TL 1.5-1.7 mm, HL 0.43-0.46 mm (China: Hunan Province) . . . . . Carebara hunanensis


 * Body smaller with TL< 1.3 mm, HL< 0.40 mm . . . . . 7

7
return to couplet #6
 * Body larger with PW 0.23-0.24 mm. Scape shorter with SI 68-71 (Figs. 22-23) (China: Yunnan Province) . . . . . Carebara obtusidenta


 * Body smaller with PW 0.18-0.21 mm. Scape longer with SI 73-75 (Figs. 40-41) (China: Yunnan Province) . . . . . Carebara reticapita

8
return to couplet #4
 * Eyes absent . . . . . 9


 * Eyes present each with 1 facet . . . . . 10

9
return to couplet #8
 * Head nearly square, very slightly longer than broad. Metanotal groove distinctly impressed (China: Guangdong Province) . . . . . Carebara lusciosa


 * Head rectangular, distinctly longer than broad. Metanotal groove slightly impressed (Figs. 26-27) (China: Yunnan Province) . . . . . Carebara bihornata

10
return to couplet #8
 * Head very finely punctate-reticulate and subopaque (China: Hongkong) . . . . . Carebara wheeleri


 * Head smooth and shining . . . . . 11

11
return to couplet #10
 * Occipital margin straight (Figs. 30-31) (China: Taiwan Province; Japan) . . . . . Carebara sauteri


 * Occipital margin weakly concave in the middle . . . . . 12

12
return to couplet #11
 * Body in color light yellow. Head longer with HL 0.35-0.38 mm (Figs. 34-35) (China: Yunnan Province) . . . . . Carebara rectidorsa


 * Body in color yellow to reddish yellow. Head shorter with HL< 0.35 mm . . . . . 13

13
return to couplet #12
 * Body in color yellow. Head broader with HW 0.31-0.32 mm. Body larger with AL 0.32-0.35 mm (China: Jiangxi Province) . . . . . Carebara jiangxiensis


 * Body in color reddish yellow. Head narrower with HW 0.28-0.31 mm. Body smaller with AL 0.27-0.30 mm (China: Hubei and Anhui Provinces) . . . . . Carebara pseudolusciosa