Key to Brachyponera nigrita species group queens

This worker key is based on: Yamane, S. 2007. Pachycondyla nigrita and related species in southeast Asia (pp. 650-663). In Snelling, R.R., Fisher, B.L. and Ward, P.S. (eds). Advances in ant systematics: homage to E.O. Wilson – 50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 80:690 pp.

Yamane created three provisional groupings of species based on size and other morphological distinctions (see the preface to the worker key for details)

The queen of Brachyponera flavipes has not been collected.


 * Brachyponera
 * Key to Brachyponera nigrita species group workers

1

 * Pronotal side densely striate; metapleuron and propodeal side partly and irregularly rugose . . . . . Brachyponera wallacei


 * Lateral face of mesosoma not striate, not rugose . . . . . 2

2
return to couplet #1
 * Mesosomal dorsum virtually without standing hairs (Fig. 13). Standing hairs on gastral tergites 1 and 2 completely confined to posterior margin (Fig. 14) . . . . . Brachyponera batak


 * Mesosomal dorsum with standing hairs (Fig. 10). Gastral tergites 1 and 2 with standing hairs on the disc as well as at the margin (Fig. 11) . . . . . 3

3
return to couplet #2
 * Smaller, with head width ranging from 0.83 to 0.91 mm. Mesosoma dorsally with many standing hairs, some of which are as long as or longer than funicular segment 1. Gastral tergites 1 and 2 each with more than 10 long standing hairs . . . . . Brachyponera pilidorsalis


 * Larger, head width ranging from 1.04 to 1.06 mm. Mesosoma dorsally with sparser hairs, most of which are much shorter than width of funicular segment 1. Gastral tergites 1 and 2 with sparser standing hairs that are usually shorter than width of funicular segment 1 . . . . . Brachyponera nigrita