Key to Old World Acropyga Workers

This key to workers is based on LaPolla (2004), modified adding Acropyga bakwele described in LaPolla and Fisher (2005)

You may also be interested in
 * Acropyga
 * Key to Old World Acropyga Queens
 * Key to Old World Acropyga Males

1

 * Southern Europe or Africa . . . . . 2


 * Australasian, Indo-Australian, and Oriental regions and southern Japan . . . . . 4

2
return to couplet #1 (modified from original key to include A. bakwele)
 * Head width < 0.55 mm; mandible with 4-8 teeth; West and East Africa and southern Europe . . . . . 3a
 * Head width > 0.55 mm; mandible with 5-9 teeth . . . . . 3b

3a
return to couplet #2
 * Basal tooth distinctly offset from masticatory margin; torulae not particularily closely set; southern Europe (Greece) . . . . . Acropyga paleartica
 * Basal tooth not distinctly offset from masticatory margin; torulae closely set; West to East Africa . . . . . Acropyga silvestrii

3b
return to couplet #2


 * Head width <0,7 mm; total length <3 mm; erect hairs concentrated on the posterior pronotum; median ocellus absent. . . . . Acropyga arnoldi
 * Head width >0,7 mm; total length >3 mm; erect hairs scattered throughout dorsum; median ocellus present. . . . . Acropyga bakwele

4
return to couplet #1
 * Basal mandibular tooth large, rectangular and apically truncated . . . . . 5


 * Basal mandibular tooth roughly triangular, similar in size and shape to other teeth . . . . . 7

5
return to couplet #4
 * Mandible with 4 teeth; head width < 0.45 mm . . . . . Acropyga inezae


 * Mandible with 5 teeth; head width > 0.45 mm . . . . . . 6

6
return to couplet #5
 * Larger species (TL: 2 . 1 6-2.52); head width > 0.53 mm . . . . . Acropyga butteli


 * Smaller species (TL: 1 .97-2.05); head width < 0.53 mm . . . . . Acropyga nipponensis

7
return to couplet #4
 * Mandible with 3-4 teeth; antennae with 7- 11 segments . . . . . 8


 * Mandible with 5 or more teeth; antennae with 9-11 segments . . . . . 12

8
return to couplet #7
 * Head width < 0.45 mm . . . . . 9


 * Head width > 0.45 mm . . . . . 10

9
return to couplet #8
 * Antennae with 7-8 segments; torulae very close-set . . . . . Acropyga oceanica


 * Antennae with 10-11 segments; torulae not very close-set . . . . . Acropyga yaeyamensis

10
return to couplet #8
 * Head flat in appearance with posterolateral comers at near right angles; torulae widely separated from each other; sides of head parallel; inner mandibular margin uneven, with slight bulge before masticatory margin . . . . . Acropyga kinomurai


 * Head not flat in appearance, with rounded posterolateral comers; torulae not widely separated; sides of head not parallel; inner mandibular margin even, without bulge before masticatory margin . . . . . 11

11
return to couplet #10
 * Antennae with 8-9 segments; mandible always with 4 teeth, the basal tooth separated by a short diastema . . . . . Acropyga lauta


 * Antennae with 11 segments; mandible with 3-4 teeth, the basal tooth not separated by a short diastema . . . . . Acropyga sauteri

12
return to couplet #7
 * Metamesosomal dorsum with distinct erect hairs; long erect hairs along posterior margin of head . . . . . 13


 * Metamesosomal dorsum without distinct erect hairs; without long erect hairs along posterior margin of head . . . . . 16

13
return to couplet #12
 * Mandible with 5 teeth and fine striate sculpture running along dorsal surface of mandible; larger species (total length typically > 2.5 mm) . . . . . 14


 * Mandible with 6 teeth and no fine striate sculpture along dorsal surface of mandible; smaller species (total length typically < 2.5 mm) . . . . . 15

14
return to couplet #13
 * Fine mandibular striate sculpture distinct, running from near base of teeth to near mandibular articulation point . . . . . Acropyga acutiventris


 * Fine mandibular striate sculpture indistinct, running from near base of teeth, but fading or disappearing altogether midway across mandible (midpoint measured from masticatory margin to articulation point) . . . . . Acropyga rubescens

15
return to couplet #13
 * Anterior clypeal margin strongly bulging forward medially, forming a distinct “beaklike” projection; smaller species, HW < 0.5, SL < 0.5; longest erect hairs on mesosomal dorsum about twice as long as shorter erect or appressed hairs . . . . . Acropyga gelasis


 * Anterior clypeal margin not strongly bulging forward medially, not forming a distinct “beaklike” projection; larger species, HW > 0.54, SL > 0.5; longest erect hairs on mesosomal dorsum about 3 times as long as shorter erect or appressed hairs . . . . . Acropyga hystrix

16
return to couplet #12
 * Larger species, total length > 2.7 mm; head width > 0.6 mm; dorsal surface of mandible with a dense layer of hairs; Australia only . . . . . Acropyga myops


 * Smaller species, total length < 2.7 mm; head width < 0.6 mm; dorsal surface of mandible without a dense layer of hairs; Australia and other regions . . . . . 17

17
return to couplet #16
 * Basal tooth separated from other teeth by a distinct diastema; basal tooth margin not smoothly continuous with inner mandibular margin; basal tooth apex pointing slightly downward . . . . . Acropyga ambigua


 * Basal tooth not separated from other teeth by a distinct diastema; basal tooth margin smoothly continuous with inner mandibular margin; basal tooth apex not pointing downward . . . . . 18

18
return to couplet #17
 * Scape length > 0.39, often surpassing posterior margin; pronotum without an anterior shelf; mandible with 6 teeth . . . . . Acropyga dubia


 * Scape length < 0.39, often failing to reach posterior margin; pronotum with an anterior shelf; mandible with 5-7 teeth . . . . . Acropyga pallida