Key to Old World Acropyga Queens

This key to queens is based on LaPolla, J. S. 2004. Acropyga (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the World. The American Entomological Institute 33(3):1-130.

This key must be used with caution because the queen caste is unknown for many species. Additionally only a few specimens were available for study in the vast majority of species in which queens were known, so, the limits of variation remain uncertain for most species. Queens are unknown for the following species and therefore are not included in this key: Acropyga bakwele, Acropyga gelasis, Acropyga oceanica, Acropyga silvestrii and Acropyga yaeyamensis.

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1

 * Africa or southern Europe . . . . . 2


 * Australasian, Indo-Australian and Oriental regions . . . . . 3

2
return to couplet #1
 * Large species (TL: > 4.0 mm); basal tooth not off-set from masticatory margin; gaster darker than head and mesosoma; appressed hairs on head and mesosoma give species a very smooth appearance; southern Africa only . . . . . Acropyga arnoldi


 * Smaller species (TL: << 4.0 mm); basal tooth off-set from masticatory margin; gaster the same color as head and mesosoma; hairs on head and mesosoma lifted off of surface slightly giving species a spiky appearance; southern Europe . . . . . Acropyga paleartica

3
return to couplet #1
 * Basal mandibular tooth large, rectangular and apically truncated . . . . . 4


 * Basal mandibular tooth roughly triangular, similar in size and shape to other teeth . . . . . 6

4
return to couplet #3
 * Mandible with 4 teeth; head width < 0.55 mm . . . . . Acropyga inezae


 * Mandible with 5 teeth; head width > 0.55 mm . . . . . 5

5
return to couplet #4
 * Larger species (TL: > 4.0 mm); scape length > 0.6 mm . . . . . Acropyga butteli


 * Smaller species (TL: < 3 . 0 mm); head width < 0.6 mm . . . . . Acropyga nipponensis

6
return to couplet #3
 * Mandible with 3-4 teeth . . . . . 7


 * Mandible with 5 or more teeth . . . . . 9

7
return to couplet #6
 * Head flat in appearance, 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 . . . . . 8

8
return to couplet #7
 * 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

9
return to couplet #6
 * Fine striate sculpture running along dorsal surface of mandible . . . . . 10


 * No fine striate sculpture running along dorsal surface of mandible . . . . . 11

10
return to couplet #9
 * Fine mandibular striate sculpture distinct, running from near base of teeth to near dorsal 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 mandible articulation point) . . . . . Acropyga rubescens

11
return to couplet #9
 * Dark brown to almost black in color; head width > 0.8 mm . . . . . 12


 * Yellow to brownish-yellow in color; head width < 0.8 mm . . . . . 13

12
return to couplet #11
 * Gaster with dense layer of appressed hairs giving it a dull apperance; Australia only . . . . . Acropyga myops


 * Gaster without a dense layer of appressed hair, giving it a shiny appearance; Indo-Australian and possibly other regions . . . . . Acropyga hystrix

13
return to couplet #11
 * Head width < 0.55 mm . . . . . Acropyga pallida


 * Head width > 0.55 mm . . . . . 14

14
return to couplet #13
 * Mandible with a diastema separating basal tooth from other teeth . . . . . Acropyga ambigua


 * Mandible without a diastema separating basal tooth from other teeth . . . . . Acropyga dubia