Key to Temnothorax interruptus group

This is based on:

There is a worker and queen key.

Worker: Head longer than wide [CL / CW: 1.161 - 1.283], lateral surface below eyes straight, posterior profile gently rounded. Anterior margin of the clypeus rounded. Eyes small, oval [EL / CS: 0.231 - 0.278]. Funiculus short, with three-segmented thin club, first segment elongate, triangular, approximately 1.2 times as long as wide on apex, segments 2 - 8 approximately 0.5 times as long as wide, club very long, 0.75 times as long as segments 1 - 9 combined. Surface of the scape with very fine microsculpture, shiny, covered with short, moderately dense, decumbent or adpressed setae. Club always darker than the funiculus, infuscate to black. Mandibles rounded, longitudinally striate, shiny; inner margin with 5 – 6 teeth, the apical tooth massive and long. Frontal lobes wide [FL / CS > 0.35]. Clypeus shiny with diffuse, longitudinal carinulae, medially smooth. Mesosoma elongate, approximately 1.2 times as long as CS, flat or slightly rounded in profile view, metanotal groove absent or inconspicuous. Promesonotal suture absent or inconspicuous, visible only on the lateral surface. Pronotum rounded on sides. Propodeal spines long [SPST / CS > 0.3]. Petiole with short peduncle, in lateral view its anterior face straight, node flat or slightly rounded on dorsal surface, posterior face slightly convex or straight. Postpetiole in lateral view low, regularly rounded, in dorsal view, regularly rounded, apical half with gently rounded sides. Legs short. Gaster smooth and shiny, bearing sparse, long, suberect to erect setae. Dorsal surface of tibia and femora sometimes with short, sparse, adpressed or suberect to the surface setae, inner margins sometimes with a row of sparse, short, suberect setae.

Gyne: Head trapezoidal, slightly longer than wide, lateral surfaces below eyes gently rounded on the posterior edges. Anterior margin of the clypeus rounded. Funiculus short, with three-segmented thin club, first segment elongate, triangular, 2 times as long as wide on apex, segments 2 - 8 quadrate, as long as wide, club very long, as long as segments 2 - 9 combined. Surface of the scape with very fine microsculpture, shiny, covered with short, moderately dense, decumbent or adpressed setae. Mandibles rounded with fine longitudinal striae, shiny, inner margin with 5 - 6 teeth, the apical tooth massive and long. Frontal carinae short, extending to 1 / 3 length of eye. Mesosoma, elongate [ML / CS: 1.709 - 1.859], flat in profile view, metanotal groove absent. Pronotum rounded on sides. Propodeal spines never short SPST > 0.2. Petiole with short peduncle, in lateral view its anterior face straight, node flat or slightly rounded on dorsal surface, posterior face slightly convex or straight. Postpetiole in lateral view low, regularly rounded, in dorsal view, regularly rounded, apical half with gently rounded sides. Legs short, dorsal surface of tibia and femora sometimes with short, sparse, decumbent or adpressed setae, inner margins sometimes with a row of sparse, short, suberect setae.

Small, tiny ants (CS < 600 μm); body colour yellow to light brown, 1st gastral tergite has a blackish band, gena darker; mesopropodeal declivity absent or inconspicuous; frontal lobes conspicuously wider than frons (FL / FR: 1.12 [1.04, 1.24]); propodeal spines long (SPST / CS: 0.38 [0.31, 0.48]) and curving downwards.

The morphological differences among workers are more conspicuously expressed in gynes. While workers of Temnothorax morea and Temnothorax strymonensis, are very similar (excluding a few diagnostic traits), their gynes differ remarkably from each other, leaving no doubt about the validity of their species status.

Workers

1

Frontal lobe wide, scape relatively short, FL / SL ratio > 0.51. Antennal scape short, not reaching occipital margin of head . . . . . Temnothorax interruptus

Frontal lobe narrower, scape relatively longer, FL / SL ratio < 0.51. Antennal scape long, reaching occipital margin of head . . . . . 2

2

return to couplet #1

FL / SL ratio < 0.45. Transverse band, in the apical part of the first gaster tergite, always reaches one half-length of tergite on its sides and usually has broad interruption in the central part. The interruption edges never parallel thus yellow interruption appears more or less V-shaped. The non-overlapping range of discriminants calculated on a reduced character set (D4 = + 0.0718*SL - 0.1213*FL + 0.0558*SPSP - 0.0445 SPTI - 10.1086) helps to separate the most difficult cases, morea (n = 44) = 2.429 ± 1.14 [- 0.357, + 4.637] . . . . . Temnothorax morea

FL / SL ratio > 0.45. Transverse band, in the apical part of the first gaster tergite, occupies apical 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 length, its anterior margin straight or on sides only slightly protruding anterad. Rarely, transverse band on the first tergite narrower than 1 / 3 length of the tergite, narrowly interrupted along the middle and laterally distinctly protruding anterad. The non-overlapping range of discriminants calculated on a reduced character set (D4 = + 0.0718*SL - 0.1213*FL + 0.0558*SPSP - 0.0445 SPTI - 10.1086) helps to separate the most difficult cases, strymonensis (n = 54) = -1.979 ± 0.88 [-4.285, -0.460] . . . . . Temnothorax strymonensis

Queens

1Q

Body brown to dark brown. Antennal scape short, not reaching occipital margin of head, scutum with thick, dense longitudinal costae . . . . . Temnothorax interruptus

Body orange to bright orange. Antennal scape long, reaching occipal margin of head, scutum with sparse longitudinal costae, sometimes main sculpture absent . . . . . 2Q

2Q

return to couplet #1Q

Propodeal spines shorter (SPST / CS < 0.3), scutellum entirely smooth and shiny, sometimes sides with sparse wrinkles. Area above propodeal spines with very sparse, transverse and gentle costulae or sparse irregular rugosity, interstices microreticulate . . . . . Temnothorax strymonensis

Propodeal spines longer (SPST / CS > 0.3), scutellum with sparse, and very gentle longitudinal costulae, sometimes main sculpture disappears on side edges. Area above propodeal spines with very sparse, thick and irregular rugosity, interstices smooth and shiny . . . . . Temnothorax morea