Dolichoderus

This is a large, diverse genus. Some species form small, cryptic colonies in soil, hollow plant stems, and litter. Others have large colonies that make small mounds of vegetative debris and forage along conspicuous trails, frequently in bogs or pine barrens. Still others form large arboreal nests sometimes using plant fibers to form coverings during nest construction. In general, workers are diurnal and are general scavengers and also tend aphids and other Hemiptera. They often forage in columns on the ground or on low vegetation and trees. During warm weather, some species will move their larvae to the surface of the ground for warmth.



Worker of D. australis from New South Wales.



Worker of D. dentata from Queensland.



Worker of D. turneri.



Worker Queensland.

Identification
The underside of the head near the base of the mandible (anterior hypostoma) with a weak to well developed flange that is sometimes tooth-like. Spines are sometimes present on the pronotum and propodeum, or just the propodeum. If spines are absent from the propodeum, then the rear face of the propodeum is often distinctly concave, but may be flat. The body is often strongly sculptured. The plates on the underside of the body above the front legs (visible only when the front legs are removed) expanded and overlapping along the centre-line of the body.

There are four sets of species of Dolichoderus in Australia. Two of these (subgenera Acanthoclinea and Diceratoclinea) have long spines on the pronotum and propodeum, or just the propodeum. These spines do not occur in any other genera of the Dolichoderinae except Froggattella. In another set, the rear face of the propodeum is weakly to strongly concave. This is similar to species of Ochetellus, but Dolichoderus differs in being larger (greater than 3mm in total length) and in having a small flange on the underside of the head as mentioned above. The metanotal groove in Dolichoderus is also deeper and broader, and, in many species, the body is more heavily and distinctly sculptured. The final group of Dolichoderus have the body essentially smooth and the rear face of the propodeum flat to weakly convex.

Distribution and Habitats
Australian distribution

Regional Species Lists

 * Australia

Keys to Species

 * Australia