Key to Prenolepis Group Genera (Formicinae)

This key to the genera of the Prenolepis genus-group is based on LaPolla & Fisher (2014), LaPolla et al. (2009) and LaPolla et al. (2012).

1

 * Maxillary palps with five or fewer segments; species often strongly polymorphic, with a major and minor caste expressed => 2
 * Maxillary palps with six segments; species monomorphic to slightly polymorphic, with no discernable major or minor caste expressed => 4

2

 * Polymorphic Afrotropical species => Paraparatrechina (weissi species-group)
 * Monomorphic or polymorphic Australasian/Indoaustralian species => 3

3

 * Eyes large, typically REL ≥ 20 (one exception: Euprenolepis negrosensis); labial palps typically with four segments; mesothorax constricted immediately behind pronotum; mandalus large and conspicuous, usually visible without dissection of mandible (This character can be difficult to determine unless the mandible is dissected. It is only required if specimens have four-segmented labial palps AND five mandibular teeth.) => Euprenolepis
 * Eyes small, REL < 20, typically 15 or less; labial palps typically with two or three segments; mesothorax typically not constricted immediately behind pronotum; mandalus small and inconspicuous, usually not visible without dissection of mandible => Pseudolasius

4

 * Mesothorax constricted immediately behind pronotum => 5
 * Mesothorax not constricted immediately behind pronotum => 6

5

 * Head round in general appearance, with rounded, indistinct posterolateral corners; mesothorax always constricted immediately behind pronotum, typically with distinctly convex eyes (if eyes not distinctly convex, then head is distinctly round) => Prenolepis
 * Head rectangular in general appearance, with more angular, distinct posterolateral corners; eyes relatively flat => Zatania (in part)

6

 * Mandibles with five or eight teeth (one species, Paratrechina kohli, has eight teeth, one on basal angle and one on the inner mandibular margin, all others have five teeth) => 7
 * Mandibles with 6 teeth (a few species of Nylanderia have seven teeth, but never five or eight teeth as above) => 8

7

 * Erect setae (one pair) present on propodeum; erect setae on head form a pattern of four setae along posterior margin and six or seven rows from posterior margin to clypeal margin; femora and tibiae lacking large erect setae => Paraparatrechina (in part)
 * Erect setae absent on propodeum; erect setae on head scattered across surface; femora and tibiae with large erect setae => Paratrechina

8

 * Scapes with either pubescence or very short abundant erect macrosetae (macrosetae no longer than width of scapes); profemur length greater than 0.8 mm => Zatania (in part)
 * Scapes usually with macrosetae that are much longer than width of scapes; in a few species no macrosetae present, but profemur length is always less than 0.8 mm => Nylanderia