Key to the subfamilies of the southwestern Australian Botanical Province

This key to workers is based on: [[Media:Heterick 2009.pdf|Heterick, B. E. 2009a. A guide to the ants of South-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 76: 1-206. Part 1 PDF]]

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 * Australia
 * SWBP

1

 * Dorsum of pygidium flattened, margins of flattened area armed laterally, posteriorly, or both, with a series of denticles or short spines (Figure 5); abdominal segments V–VII with spiracles visible in intact specimen; promesonotal suture usually completely absent (absent in all known Australian species) . . . . . Cerapachyinae (now Dorylinae)


 * Dorsum of pygidium without series of denticles or short spines; abdominal segments V–VII with spiracles visible only when abdomen is distended or dissected (except for Aenictinae) (e.g. Figures 6, 7); promesonotal suture present or absent . . . . . 2

2
return to couplet #1
 * Waist consisting of a single distinct segment (the petiole); abdomen may be more-or-less deeply impressed behind segment III (Figures 2, 7) . . . . . 3


 * Waist consisting of two distinct segments (the petiole and postpetiole), segment III being distinctly separate from remaining abdominal segments, which are smoothly rounded (Figure 3) . . . . . 10

3
return to couplet #2
 * Apex of hypopygium with a circular or semicircular cone (the acidipore), usually projecting as a nozzle and modified to spray formic acid and often fringed with hairs (Figures 8, 9) . . . . . Formicinae


 * Apex of hypopygium without an acidipore . . . . . 4

4
return to couplet #3
 * Apex of abdomen (junction of hypopygium and pygidium) with a transverse slit (Figures 10, 11); abdomen without an impression between the third and fourth abdominal segments, often soft, flexible and easily collapsed; mandibles triangular with teeth along entire inner margin . . . . . Dolichoderinae


 * Apex of abdomen with a sting; abdomen may be deeply impressed between third and fourth abdominal Segments (Figure 7); cuticle stronger, less flexible, not normally collapsible; mandibular shape various . . . . . 5

5
return to couplet #4
 * Petiole broadly articulated to abdominal segment III (Figure 12); dentiform (i.e. toothlike) clypeal setae present (Figure 13) (one genus, Amblyopone) . . . . . Amblyoponinae


 * Petiole with distinctly descending posterior face; dentiform clypeal setae absent . . . . . 6

6
return to couplet #5
 * Petiole approximately as long as to slightly longer than abdominal tergite III (Figure 14); mandibles elongate-triangular, intermeshing (15 or more small teeth present) (Figure 15) . . . . . Myrmeciinae (in part - also )


 * Without the above combination of characters . . . . . 7

7
return to couplet #6
 * In profile, metapleural gland orifice a longitudinal to oblique curved slit or crescent, directed upward by a strip of cuticle (Figure 16) (one genus, Rhytidoponera) . . . . . Ectatomminae


 * In profile, metapleural gland orifice elliptical to circular and opening laterally or posteriorly, not bounded by strip of cuticle that directs orifice upward (Figure 17) . . . . . 8

8
return to couplet #7
 * Promesonotal suture either completely absent or present and reduced and fully fused, so pronotum and mesonotum are incapable of independent movement (Figure 18); antennal sockets mostly to completely exposed (Figure 19) (one genus, Discothyrea) . . . . . Proceratiinae


 * Promesonotal suture fully developed, so pronotum and mesonotum capable of independent movement (Figure 20); antennal sockets covered by developed frontal lobes (Figure 21) . . . . . 9

9
return to couplet #8
 * Torulus of antenna completely fused to frontal lobe; frontal lobes are rounded or triangular, and in full-face view have a decidedly ‘pinched in’ appearance posteriorly (Figure 21); anterior clypeal margin without lamellate rim; in full-face view, head capsule without median longitudinal carina (Figure 22) . . . . . Ponerinae


 * Torulus of antenna not completely fused to frontal lobe; frontal lobes not rounded or triangular in appearance, and not ‘pinched in’ posteriorly, anterior clypeal margin with lamellate rim; in full-face view, head capsule with median longitudinal carina (one genus, Heteroponera) . . . . . Heteroponerinae

10
return to couplet #2
 * Mandibles long and more or less linear, usually with teeth along entire inner margin; eyes very large, situated on or near the anterior margin of the clypeus (Figure 23) . . . . . Myrmeciinae (in part - also )


 * Mandibles usually triangular, but if elongate, then without teeth on inner margin (teeth at mandibular tip only), and eyes small or medium-sized, situated away from anterior margin of clypeus . . . . . 11

11
return to couplet #10
 * Eyes normally present, but if absent then frontal lobes expanded so that the latter cover all or part of antennal insertions (Figure 24) . . . . . 12


 * Eyes absent or represented by a single facet; frontal lobes absent, so that the antennal insertions are completely exposed (Figure 25) . . . . . 13

12
return to couplet #11
 * Pronotum and mesonotum fused to form one segment (the promesonotum) (Figure 26); hind tibiae with at most a simple spur, but this may be lacking; tarsal claws simple (Figure 27) . . . . . Myrmicinae


 * Joint between pronotum and mesonotum flexible (Figure 28); hind tibiae with pectinate spurs; tarsal claws toothed (Figure 29) (one genus, Tetraponera) . . . . . Pseudomyrmecinae

13
return to couplet #11
 * Pronotum and mesonotum fused to form one segment; antennae 10-segmented; length greater than 3 mm (Figure 30) (one genus, Aenictus) . . . . . Aenictinae (now Dorylinae)


 * Joint between pronotum and mesonotum flexible (Figure 31); antennae 12-segmented; length less than 2.5 mm (one genus, Leptanilla) . . . . . Leptanillinae