Key to Arabian Lepisiota

This worker key is based on: [[Media:Sharaf, M.R., Monks, J. et al. 2016. A remarkable new species of the genus Lepisiota.pdf|Sharaf, M.R., Monks, J., Polaszek, A. and A.S. Aldawood. 2016. A remarkable new species of the genus Lepisiota Santschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Oman and the United Arab Emirates with a key to the Arabian species. Journal of Natural History. 50(29-30):1-13.]] doi:10.1080/00222933.2016.1180722.

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Lepisiota

1

 * Antennal scape long, surpassing the posterior margin of head by half its length or more . . . . . 2


 * Antennal scape shorter, surpassing the posterior margin of head by a third of its length or less . . . . . 18

2
return to couplet #1
 * Dorsum of mesosoma and gaster without standing setae; antennal scape exceptionally long; SI ˃ 200 . . . . . 3


 * Dorsum of mesosoma with at least one or two pairs of long setae on pronotum; gaster always with some projecting setae; antennal scape shorter; SI < 200 . . . . . 4

3
return to couplet #2
 * Unicolourous dark brown or black-brown; body parts of moderate lengths (SI 200–205; WL 1.00) (KSA) . . . . . Lepisiota riyadha


 * Bicoloured species, head and gaster brown; body exceptionally long (SI ˃ 375; WL 1.91) (Oman, UAE) . . . . . Lepisiota elegantissima

4
return to couplet #2
 * Bicoloured, mesosoma paler than gaster, mainly or entirely reddish . . . . . 5


 * Whole body dark except a small area of the mesonotum more or less red in a few species. . . . . . 10

5
return to couplet #4
 * Mesosoma with whole dorsum covered with blunt black setae (KSA) . . . . . Lepisiota arabica


 * Mesosoma with one, two or three pairs of fine setae on the pronotum . . . . . 6

6
return to couplet #5
 * Body sculpture coarse, general appearance opaque . . . . . 7


 * All parts of the body shining with superficial reticulate sculpture at most . . . . . 8

7
return to couplet #6
 * Colour entirely black; several pairs of long, pale setae on cephalic dorsum, pronotum and gaster; petiole wide, at least 0.33 × HW (Afghanistan, India) . . . . . Lepisiota sericea


 * Bicoloured species, head, mesosoma, petiole and appendages orange, gaster dark brown; body pilosity rare except for long few setae on anterior clypeal margin and sparse appressed pubescence on cephalic dorsum; petiole narrower, less than 0.30 × HW (Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Lebanon) . . . . . Lepisiota bipartita