Key to Old World Acropyga Workers

This key to workers is based on LaPolla (2004), modified adding Acropyga bakwele described in LaPolla and Fisher (2005)

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 * Acropyga
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1

 * Southern Europe or Africa . . . . . 2


 * Australasian, Indo-Australian, and Oriental regions and southern Japan . . . . . 4

2
return to couplet #1
 * Head width < 0.55 mm; mandible with 4-8 teeth; West and East Africa and southern Europe . . . . . 3a
 * Head width > 0.55 mm; mandible with 6-9 teeth; southern Africa only . . . . . 3b

3a
return to couplet #2
 * Basal tooth distinctly offset from masticatory margin; torulae not particularily closely set; southern Europe (Greece) . . . . . Acropyga paleartica
 * Basal tooth not distinctly offset from masticatory margin; torulae closely set; West to East Africa . . . . . Acropyga silvestrii

3b
return to couplet #2


 * Head width <0,7 mm; total length <3 mm; erect hairs concentrated on the posterior pronotum; median ocellus absent. . . . . Acropyga arnoldi
 * Head width >0,7 mm; total length >3 mm; erect hairs scattered throughout dorsum; median ocellus present. . . . . Acropyga bakwele

4
return to couplet #1
 * Basal mandibular tooth large, rectangular and apically truncated . . . . . 5


 * Basal mandibular tooth roughly triangular, similar in size and shape to other teeth . . . . . 7

5
return to couplet #4
 * Mandible with 4 teeth; head width < 0.45 mm . . . . . Acropyga inezae


 * Mandible with 5 teeth; head width > 0.45 mm . . . . . . 6

6
return to couplet #5
 * Larger species (TL: 2 . 1 6-2.52); head width > 0.53 mm . . . . . Acropyga butteli


 * Smaller species (TL: 1 .97-2.05); head width < 0.53 mm . . . . . Acropyga nipponensis

7
return to couplet #4
 * Mandible with 3-4 teeth; antennae with 7- 11 segments . . . . . 8


 * Mandible with 5 or more teeth; antennae with 9-11 segments . . . . . 12

8
return to couplet #7
 * Head width < 0.45 mm . . . . . 9


 * Head width > 0.45 mm . . . . . 10

9
return to couplet #8
 * Antennae with 7-8 segments; torulae very close-set . . . . . Acropyga oceanica


 * Antennae with 10-11 segments; torulae not very close-set . . . . . Acropyga yaeyamensis

10
return to couplet #8
 * Head flat in appearance with posterolateral comers at near right angles; torulae widely separated from each other; sides of head parallel; inner mandibular margin uneven, with slight bulge before masticatory margin . . . . . Acropyga kinomurai


 * Head not flat in appearance, with rounded posterolateral comers; torulae not widely separated; sides of head not parallel; inner mandibular margin even, without bulge before masticatory margin . . . . . 11

11
return to couplet #10
 * Antennae with 8-9 segments; mandible always with 4 teeth, the basal tooth separated by a short diastema . . . . . Acropyga lauta


 * Antennae with 11 segments; mandible with 3-4 teeth, the basal tooth not separated by a short diastema . . . . . Acropyga sauteri

12
return to couplet #7
 * Metamesosomal dorsum with distinct erect hairs; long erect hairs along posterior margin of head . . . . . 13


 * Metamesosomal dorsum without distinct erect hairs; without long erect hairs along posterior margin of head . . . . . 16

13
return to couplet #12
 * Mandible with 5 teeth and fine striate sculpture running along dorsal surface of mandible; larger species (total length typically > 2.5 mm) . . . . . 14


 * Mandible with 6 teeth and no fine striate sculpture along dorsal surface of mandible; smaller species (total length typically < 2.5 mm) . . . . . 15

14
return to couplet #13
 * Fine mandibular striate sculpture distinct, running from near base of teeth to near mandibular articulation point . . . . . Acropyga acutiventris


 * Fine mandibular striate sculpture indistinct, running from near base of teeth, but fading or disappearing altogether midway across mandible (midpoint measured from masticatory margin to articulation point) . . . . . Acropyga rubescens

15
return to couplet #13
 * Anterior clypeal margin strongly bulging forward medially, forming a distinct “beaklike” projection; smaller species, HW < 0.5, SL < 0.5; longest erect hairs on mesosomal dorsum about twice as long as shorter erect or appressed hairs . . . . . Acropyga gelasis


 * Anterior clypeal margin not strongly bulging forward medially, not forming a distinct “beaklike” projection; larger species, HW > 0.54, SL > 0.5; longest erect hairs on mesosomal dorsum about 3 times as long as shorter erect or appressed hairs . . . . . Acropyga hystrix

16
return to couplet #12
 * Larger species, total length > 2.7 mm; head width > 0.6 mm; dorsal surface of mandible with a dense layer of hairs; Australia only . . . . . Acropyga myops


 * Smaller species, total length < 2.7 mm; head width < 0.6 mm; dorsal surface of mandible without a dense layer of hairs; Australia and other regions . . . . . 17

17
return to couplet #16
 * Basal tooth separated from other teeth by a distinct diastema; basal tooth margin not smoothly continuous with inner mandibular margin; basal tooth apex pointing slightly downward . . . . . Acropyga ambigua


 * Basal tooth not separated from other teeth by a distinct diastema; basal tooth margin smoothly continuous with inner mandibular margin; basal tooth apex not pointing downward . . . . . 18

18
return to couplet #17
 * Scape length > 0.39, often surpassing posterior margin; pronotum without an anterior shelf; mandible with 6 teeth . . . . . Acropyga dubia


 * Scape length < 0.39, often failing to reach posterior margin; pronotum with an anterior shelf; mandible with 5-7 teeth . . . . . Acropyga pallida