Key to Indian species of Lepisiota

This key to workers of Indian species of Lepisiota is based on Wachkoo et al. (2021).

1

 * Antennal scape long, surpassing posterior margin of head by half its length or more (Figs 5, 11, 35)
 * Antennal scape shorter, surpassing posterior margin of head by a third of its length or less (Figs 2, 14, 23)

2

 * Bicolored; head and gaster dark brown to black, mesosoma reddish brown (Fig. 5)  Lepisiota bipartita
 * Uniform reddish-brown or black-brown (Figs 11, 35)

3

 * Reddish-brown; petiolar scale with distinctly angular sides, dorsally emarginate with teeth-like apical corners (Figs 11–12) Lepisiota integra
 * Black-brown; petiolar scale with smoothly curved sides, dorsally rounded and narrow, without teeth (Figs 35–36) Lepisiota sericea

4

 * Bicolored; mesosoma paler than gaster, mainly or entirely reddish (Figs 8, 26, 29)
 * Whole body uniformly dark brown to black (Figs 2, 14, 38)

5

 * All parts of the body shining with superficial microreticulate sculpture at most (Figs 26–27) Lepisiota opaca
 * Body sculpture coarse, general appearance opaque (Figs 9, 30)

6

 * Head reticulate-striate; propodeal spines blunt, directed backward; petiole dorsally emarginate (Figs 7–9) Lepisiota fergusoni
 * Head reticulate-punctate; propodeal spines pointed, directed upward; petiole dorsally bispinose (Figs 28–30) Lepisiota pulchella

7

 * Propodeal spines indistinct; gastral pilosity restricted to few pairs of black setae on the posterior margin of tergites (Figs 32, 38)
 * Propodeal spines well-developed in the form of two broadly-based blunt tubercles, teeth or spines; whole gastral dorsum covered with abundant pale setae (Figs 2, 14, 17)

8

 * Pronotum without any setae; body sparsely pubescent, shiny (Fig. 32) Lepisiota rothneyi
 * Pronotum with few short setae; body fairly pubescent, opaque (Fig. 38) Lepisiota wroughtonii

9

 * Body abundantly covered with long, erect white setae (Fig. 14) Lepisiota layla
 * Body covered with usual short erect setae (Figs 17, 20, 23)

10

 * Petiole dorsally emarginate without distinct teeth or spines; mesosomal setae (if any) restricted to pronotum (Figs 2–3) Lepisiota annandalei
 * Petiole dorsally distinctly bispinose; setae present across entire mesosomal dorsum (Figs 17, 20, 23)

11

 * Head and mesosoma smooth and shining; propodeal spines in the form of two broadly-based blunt tubercles (Figs 22–23) Lepisiota modesta
 * Head and mesosoma finely microreticulate and dull; propodeal spines pointed (Figs 16, 20)

12

 * Antennal scape with sparse appressed to decumbent pubescence; mesosomal setae sparse; smaller species (HW 0.51–0.57) (Figs 16–18) Lepisiota lunaris
 * Antennal scape with dense subdecumbent to suberect pubescence; mesosomal setae abundant; larger species (HW 0.60–0.69) (Figs 19–21) Lepisiota mayri