Key to Pogonomyrmecini

This worker key is based on: Johnson, R.A., Moreau, C.S. 2016. A new ant genus from southern Argentina and southern Chile, Patagonomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 4139: 1–31 (DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.4139.1.1).

Patagonomyrmex is one of three genera within the recently erected tribe Pogonomyrmecini (Ward et al., 2015). Pogonomyrmecine workers can be separated from other neotropical myrmecine ants by: (1) antennal scrobes lacking, (2) antenna with 12 segments, apical and preapical segments never terminating in a conspicuously differentiated 2-segmented club, (3) frontal lobes present, horizontal and somewhat elevated; in full-face view, frontal lobes partly to completely cover antennal sockets, (4) petiole pedunculate, and (5) tibial spurs of hind legs finely pectinate (see also Bolton, 1994). The following key separates the three pogonomyrmecine genera.

1

Psammophore well-developed, consisting of numerous, long, curved hairs along basolateral margin of head . . . . . Pogonomyrmex (in part – also #3)

Psammophore poorly-developed, consisting of numerous, short to long hairs scattered over ventral surface of head . . . . . 2

2

return to couplet #1

Inferior propodeal spines biaculeate, upper and lower portions both acuminate; apical (masticatory) margin of mandible mark-edly oblique in full-face view . . . . . Hylomyrma

Inferior propodeal spines rounded, triangular, or spiniform; when prominent they are always with a single point, never biacule-ate; apical (masticatory) margin of mandible perpendicular or nearly so in full-face . . . . . 3

3

return to couplet #2

In full-face view, anterior margin of clypeus flat or concave, entire or rarely with small medial tooth; clypeus flat to weakly convex in profile; anteroventral margin of peduncle of petiole with or without a small, acuminate spine; posterior surface of petiolar node usually with transverse to oblique rugae or rugoreticulate; dorsum of postpetiole with longitudinal to oblique rugae to rugoreticulate or strongly granulate-punctate, dull; promesonotum rugose to rugoreticulate, interrugae smooth and shining to moderately coriarious, weakly shining; palp formula 4,3 . . . . . Pogonomyrmex (in part - also #1)

In full-face view, anterior margin of clypeus convex, entire; clypeus strongly convex in profile; anteroventral margin of pedun-cle of petiole with a small, acuminate spine; posterior surface of petiolar node and dorsum of postpetiole smooth and shining to moderately coriarious, weakly shining; promesonotum smooth and shining or if rugose to rugoreticulate, then promesonotal interrugae strongly granulate, dull; palp formula 5,4 . . . . . Patagonomyrmex