Key to Aphaenogaster European testaceopilosa-group workers

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This worker key is based on: Boer, P. 2013. Revision of the European ants of the Aphaenogaster testaceopilosa-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 156, 57–93. PDF

Identifications should be preferably based on several specimens from the same colony, if possible of all three castes.

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1

  • Antennal club 5-segmented. Base of gaster on dorsal side with (some) transverse microstriae . . . . . 2
  • Antennal club 4-segmented. Base of gaster on dorsal side with longitudinal microstriae, sometimes absent (A. spinosa, A. semipolita) . . . . . 3

2

return to couplet #1

  • PSLWI < 0.92. RPSI 0–14 (5). Propodeum dentate, these ‘teeth’ triangular. Spain (Andalusia, Baleares) . . . . . Aphaenogaster gemella
Aphaenogaster gemella casent0907705 p 1 high.jpg
  • PSLWI > 0.95. RPSI 11–44 (30). Propodeal spines slender. Iberia, Slovakia, France (Mediterranean region) . . . . . Aphaenogaster senilis
Aphaenogaster senilis casent0281534 p 1 high.jpg

3

return to couplet #1

Aphaenogaster inermita casent0280968 p 1 high.jpg

4

return to couplet #3

  • Majority of a nest population with long and sturdy propodeal spines: PSI-mean 208 . . . . . 5
  • Propodeal spines shorter, never sturdy: PSI-mean 163 . . . . . 6

5

return to couplet #4

  • SI/CI > 1.96. In general at least 80% of the whole dorsal side of first gastral tergite with microstriae, matt; sometimes glossy. Iberia . . . . . Aphaenogaster iberica
Aphaenogaster iberica casent0280966 p 1 high.jpg
  • SI/CI < 2.01. Microstriae on dorsal side of first gastral tergite in general restricted to the base, sometimes on the whole gaster, remainder shiny. Occiput, lateral sides of head, gaster and petiole nearly always shiny. Switzerland, Italy (N + S, Sardinia), France (Corsica) . . . . . Aphaenogaster spinosa
Aphaenogaster spinosa casent0280970 p 1 high.jpg

6

return to couplet #4

  • In lateral view: pronotum and mesonotum forming a uniformly curved line . . . . . 7
  • In lateral view: pronotum slightly angular, not forming a uniformly curved line with the mesonotum. Mesosoma shiny. Greece (Crete, Karpathos) . . . . . Aphaenogaster simonellii
Aphaenogaster simonellii casent0179867 p 1 high.jpg

7

return to couplet #6

  • Only lateral sides of head may be glossy. Head and mesosoma without smooth areas. Greatest part of head and mesosoma glossy to shiny. Dorsal side of first gastral tergite matt to wax glossy. Length of propodeal spines in relation to the distance between their tips longer: RPSI-mean > 40 . . . . . 8
  • Parts of head and mesosoma glossy to shiny and partly smooth. Dorsal side of first gastral tergite wax glossy to glossy. Length of propodeal spines in relation to the distance between their tips shorter: RPSI-mean 35. Italy . . . . . Aphaenogaster semipolita
Aphaenogaster semipolita casent0281584 p 1 high.jpg

8

return to couplet #7

  • Longitudinal rugulae on propodeum absent or at most in small part of the workers . . . . . 9
  • Longitudinal rugulae on propodeum mainly present. Setae on lateral sides of head, above the eyes, in full face view, longer than the maximum diameter of the scape. Propodeal spines in lateral view horizontal to slightly erected: SPL-mean 1.7. Albania, Italy . . . . . Aphaenogaster campana
Aphaenogaster campana casent0904161 p 1 high.jpg

9

return to couplet #8

  • Rugulose sculpture on the dorsal side of the mesosoma coarse or weak. Head narrower: CI-mean < 76. Scapes longer: SI-mean > 146. SI/CI-mean > 192 . . . . . 10
  • Rugulose sculpture on the dorsal side of the mesosoma mainly absent, largely weakly scabriculous, if present then transverse weakly rugulae on propodeum. Head wider: CI-mean 81. Scape shorter: SI-mean 135. SI/CI-mean 167. Italy (Adriatic regions), Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia . . . . . Aphaenogaster picena
Aphaenogaster picena casent0179866 p 1 high.jpg

10

return to couplet #9

  • Head wider. Mainly matt, with some shine from the punctation. Lateral sides of petioles at least matt glossy. Terminal side of propodeum, beneath the propodeal spines glossy, punctation absent or weak . . . . . 11
  • Head narrower. Mainly matt, without any shine from the punctation. Lateral sides of petioles mainly matt. Terminal side of the propodeum, beneath the propodeal spines matt, punctation distinctly. Greece (Rhodes, Ikaria) . . . . . Aphaenogaster sporadis

11

return to couplet #10

12

return to couplet #11

13

return to couplet #12

  • Setosity relatively short. PSI-mean 184. RPH-mean 126. RPSI-mean 55. Scattered short setae on the mesopleura. Greece (Crete) . . . . . Aphaenogaster balcanicoides
Boer 2013-18Aphaenogaster-balcanicoides-hal.jpg
  • Setosity longer. PSI-mean < 156. RPH-mean > 138. RPSI-mean < 42. Short setae on the mesopleura limited to some short setae against the metapleura. Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Greece, Turkey . . . . . Aphaenogaster balcanica
Aphaenogaster balcanica casent0179599 p 1 high.jpg