Key to Lenomyrmex workers

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online

This worker key is based on: Rabeling, C., Sosa-Calvo, J., O'Connell, L.A., Coloma, L.A. & Fernández, F. 2016. Lenomyrmex hoelldobleri: a new ant species discovered in the stomach of the dendrobatid poison frog, Oophaga sylvatica (Funkhouser). ZooKeys. 618:79–95. (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.618.9692).

The myrmicine ant genus Lenomyrmex is comprised of rarely collected species that occur from Costa Rica to Ecuador. Lenomyrmex possesses both primitive (e.g., promesonotal suture well developed) and derived (e.g., specialized morphology of the mandibles) characters.

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1

  • Mesosoma predominantly smooth and shiny, with no erect hairs . . . . . 2
  • Mesosoma with conspicuous sculpture and at least a pair of erect hairs . . . . . 3

2

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  • Propodeum with a pair of acute and well-defined spines; head foveolate, with median longitudinal striae (Cordillera Oriental of the Andes in S Colombia and S Ecuador) . . . . . Lenomyrmex inusitatus

3

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  • Dorsum of head and petiole with longitudinal conspicuous costae; erect hairs of antennal scape as long as or longer than maximum diameter of scape . . . . . 4
  • Dorsum of head densely rugo-reticulate; sculpture of the petiole variable, rugulate to rugo-reticulate or longitudinally striate but never costate; erect hairs of antennal scape not longer than maximum diameter of the scape . . . . . 5

4

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  • Node of petiole inconspicuous and ill-defined; dorsum of propodeum with longitudinal striae; in dorsal view, disc of postpetiole weakly sculptured; body ferruginous yellow (W Panama) . . . . . Lenomyrmex costatus
  • Node of petiole conspicuous, well-defined; dorsum of propodeum with transverse striae; in dorsal view, disc of postpetiole finely striate; body black (W Ecuador) . . . . . Lenomyrmex hoelldobleri

5

return to couplet #3

  • Length of propodeal spines approximately equal to distance between their bases; mesopleuron with some irregular longitudinal striae, but mostly smooth and shiny; metapleuron with irregular longitudinal striae; HL > 0.80 mm; mesosoma with only two suberect hairs on the pronotum (SW Colombia) . . . . . Lenomyrmex mandibularis
Lenomyrmex mandibularis casent0901260 h 1 high.jpg
Lenomyrmex mandibularis casent0901260 p 1 high.jpg
  • Length of propodeal spines variable, either shorter or longer than distance between their bases; metapleuron and subsequent portion of mesopleuron with fine transverse rugulae or rugo-reticulate, without smooth areas; HL < 0.80 mm; mesosoma with numerous erect to suberect hairs . . . . . 6

6

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  • Propodeal spines shorter than distance between their bases; eyes with six or seven facets in maximum diameter; petiolar node protruding over the peduncle and well defined; postpetiolar dorsum with longitudinal striae (NW Ecuador, SW Colombia) . . . . . Lenomyrmex wardi
Lenomyrmex wardi casent0106197 head 1.jpg
Lenomyrmex wardi casent0106197 profile 1.jpg
  • Propodeal spines longer than distance between their bases; eyes with about nine facets in maximum diameter; petiolar node undifferentiated from the peduncle; postpetiolar dorsum smooth and polished (Costa Rica) . . . . . Lenomyrmex colwelli
Lenomyrmex colwelli inb0003214454 head 1.jpg
Lenomyrmex colwelli inb0003214454 profile 1.jpg