Key to Myrmica of the Middle Asian Mountains

This key is based on: Radchenko, A.G. & Elmes, G.W. 2010. Myrmica ants of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3: 1-789. The first key is a key to workers.

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1

 * Scape sharply angled at the base and with a horizontal or vertical lobe, or at least a small vertical dent . . . . . 2


 * Scape gradually curved at the base, or at most with a slightly marked very obtuse angle, and never with any form of lobe or dent . . . . . 6

2
return to couplet #1
 * Scape with a horizontal lobe. - Middle Asian Mts . . . . . Myrmica tobiasi (=Myrmica salina)


 * Scape with vertical lobe or at least small dent . . . . . 3

3
return to couplet #2
 * Lobe at the base of scape forms shield-like plate along the surface of the foot of scape. Petiole in profile with a distinctly concave anterior face, its node with a flattened or somewhat convex dorsal plate. Males: scape short, SI1 < 0.50 . . . . . 4


 * Lobe at the base of scape does not form shield-like plate along the foot of scape. Petiole in profile with an almost straight, steep anterior face, its node with a posteriorly-inclined dorsal plate, appearing subtriangular. Males: scape long, SI1 > 0.70 . . . . . 5

4
return to couplet #3
 * Frontal carinae strongly curved, frons narrower, mean FI 0.23. Scape at the base with large shield-like lobe. Alitrunk with deeper metanotai groove, propodeal spines longer, mean ESLI 0.33. - Europe, Caucasus, West Siberia, northern Kazakhstan, Tien-Shan, East Siberia, to the east till Enisei river . . . . . Myrmica schencki


 * Frontal carinae less curved, frons wider, mean FI 0.31. Scape at the base with small lobe or even dent. Alitrunk with shallow metanotal groove, propodeal spines shorter, mean ESLI 0.24. - Central Europe, south of East Europe, Transcaucasus, Iran, Turkmenistan, south of West Siberia, northern Kazakhstan, Tien-Shan, to the east - till Altai Mts . . . . . Myrmica deplanata

5
return to couplet #3
 * Scape at the base with small but distinct lobe. Frontal lobes somewhat more extended, mean FLI 1.37. - Middle Asian Mts . . . . . Myrmica kirghisorum


 * Scape at the base with small dent or even ridge. Frontal lobes less extended, mean FLI 1.25. - Middle Asian Mts . . . . . Myrmica saposhnikovi

6
return to couplet #1
 * Frontal carinae strongly curved at their anterior third, frontal lobes strongly extended, wide and subsquare, FLI > 1.25 . . . . . 7


 * Frontal carinae feebly curved along whole length, frontal lobes not extended, relatively narrow, FLI < 1.18 . . . . . 8

7
return to couplet #6
 * Propodeal spines not broadened at the base, straight, needle-like. Males: scape extremely short, SI1 < 0.35. - Middle Asian Mts . . . . . Myrmica orthostyla


 * Propodeal spines somewhat broadened at the base, slightly curved. Males: scape somewhat longer, SI1 > 0.36. - Middle Asian Mts., north-eastern Afghanistan . . . . . Myrmica tenuispina

8
return to couplet #6
 * Frontal carinae curved outwards to merge with the rugae that surround antennal sockets. - Europe, Caucasus, West Siberia, northern Kazakhstan, Tien-Shan, Pamir, East Siberia, to the east until Transbaikai region . . . . . Myrmica rubra


 * Frontal carinae merging with the rugae that extend to the occipital margin or at least to the level of upper eyes margin, they do not curve outwards and do not merge with rugae that surround antennal sockets . . . . . 9

9
return to couplet #8
 * Alitrunk and waist with very coarse, almost straight (not sinuous) longitudinal rugae; petiole with very short peduncle, its anterior face steep, meets with dorsal surface at an almost right angle, dorsal plate well developed, flattened. Scape strongly but gradually curved at the base, at most slightly angled, sometimes with weak longitudinal ridge on the foot of scape. Large and robust species, usually bicoloured, with reddish alitrunk and blackish head dorsum and gaster. - Boreal species, distributed from Ireland to Kamchatka, absent in Japan . . . . . Myrmica sulcinodis


 * Alitrunk, and especially waist, with much finer sinuous longitudinal rugae; petiole with distinct peduncle and concave anterior face. Scape at the base gradually curved . . . . . 10

10
return to couplet #9
 * Scape curved at the base to form quite a strong bend. More robust, darker coloured and generally bigger species (HW 0.95-1.30, AL 1.50-2.10 mm). Males: scape short, SI1 < 0.60. - Steppe Zone from the delta of Danube River to Altai Mts., Transcaucasus, north-eastern Iran, plains and mountains of Middle Asia . . . . . Myrmica bergi


 * Scape very smoothly curved at the base. More slender, lighter coloured and generally smaller species (HW 0.75-1.05, AL 1.25-1.65 mm). Males: scape long, SI1 > 0.80 . . . . . 11

11
return to couplet #10
 * Antennal sockets not surrounded by concentric rugulae, at most with a very fine interrupted striation. - Middle Asian Mts. . . . . . Myrmica ferganensis


 * Antennal sockets surrounded by distinct fine, concentric rugulae . . . . . 12

12
return to couplet #11
 * Petiole higher (mean PI1 1.32), with a shorter peduncle, its node (seen in profile) with a slightly convex dorsal plate that appears horizontal, or slightly inclined backwards. Males: petiole higher, massive, mean PI1 1.33. - Middle Asian Mts. . . . . . Myrmica dshungarica


 * Petiole lower (species' means PI1 1.38 ... 1.40), with longer peduncle, its node without a dorsal plate, being rather narrowly rounded. Males: petiole lower, slender, mean PI1 1.53 (males of Myrmica kryzhanovskii are unknown) . . . . . 13

13
return to couplet #12
 * Scape with long suberect hairs, length of the longest hairs not shorter than maximum diameter of scape. - Middle Asian Mts. . . . . . Myrmica kryzhanovskii


 * Scape with shorter sub decumbent hairs, length of the longest hairs distinctly shorter than maximum diameter of scape . . . . . Myrmica juglandeti