Nylanderia of the World Part III: Nylanderia in the West Indies
Author
Kallal, Robert J.
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-08-23
4658
3
401
451
journal article
25929
10.11646/zootaxa.4658.3.1
70ec409b-10b2-459d-bd98-e3e45b41f3a9
1175-5326
3375930
140EC233-D961-4705-AAF6-A6874C2B52E9
Distinguishing
Nylanderia
from Morphologically Similar Genera in the West Indies
A complete diagnosis of
Nylanderia
is provided by
LaPolla
et al
. (2011a)
. An updated key to the genera of the
Prenolepis
genus-group is provided by
Williams & LaPolla (2016)
. In the West Indies there are three
Prenolepis
genusgroup genera present:
Nylanderia
,
Paratrechina
,
and
Zatania
LaPolla, Kallal & Brady, 2012
. The only
Paratrechina
species in the New World is
P. longicornis
, which is an invasive species from either Africa or Asia (
LaPolla
et al
. 2013
;
LaPolla & Fisher 2014
). It is easily separated from
Nylanderia
by possessing a uniquely elongated mesosoma with a low propodeum (typically reaching only the mesonotal height in lateral view) and a long scape that is without macrosetae.
Zatania
is native to the West Indies (
LaPolla
et al
. 2012
) and can be separated from
Nylanderia
based on mesosomal characteristics:
Nylanderia
possess deep and complete mesonotal and metanotal sutures that divide the posterior part of the mesosoma distinctly into the mesopleuron and propodeum;
Zatania
have shallow and incomplete mesosomal sutures (
Williams & LaPolla 2016
). Additionally, most of the West Indian
Zatania
have 5 mandibular teeth. The exception is
Z. cisipa
(
Smith & Lavigne 1973
)
, which possesses 6 teeth (
LaPolla
et al
. 2012
); all West Indian
Nylanderia
have 6 mandibular teeth.