Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Author Shattuck, Steven O. Author Marsden, Sharon text Zootaxa 2013 3716 2 101 143 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.3716.2.1 f685afba-b823-44c6-8ec9-f931fee7647a 1175-5326 248496 E76C890A-DC27-4B8A-90CD-41D10682E8FA Key to Australian Dolichoderus species based on workers 1. Propodeum with elongate spines (Fig. 2).................................................................. 2 -. Propodeum lacking spines ( Fig. 1 )....................................................................... 13 2. Pronotum with elongate spines ( Fig. 5 ) ( doriae group)........................................................ 3 -. Pronotum rounded, lacking spines (Fig. 2) ( scabridus group).................................................. 8 3. Pronotal spines directed laterally and dorsally ( Fig. 10 ).............................................. extensispinus -. Pronotal spines directed anteriorly and approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body ( Fig. 7 )............... 4 4. Pronotal spines long, in dorsal view a line drawn between their tips lies anterior of the pronotal collar ( Fig. 7 )...... dentatus -. Pronotal spines short, in dorsal view a line drawn between their tips intersects the pronotal collar ( Fig. 8 )............... 5 5. First gastral tergite with abundant short erect hairs.......................................................... 6 -. First gastral tergite generally lacking erect hairs, but occasionally with a few very short, scattered hairs present........... 7 6. Legs yellow, strongly contrasting with black body; propodeal spines and sometimes antennae dark red to red-brown, lighter in colour than nearby body regions ( Fig. 8 ).............................................................. doriae -. Legs dark brown to black, generally similar in colour to the body or at most slightly lighter in colour than body; tips of propo- deal spines and antennae very dark brown to black and similar in colour to nearby body regions ( Fig. 5 )............ clarki 7. First gastral tergite with abundant appressed very fine pubescence ( Fig. 9 )..................................... etus -. First gastral tergite with a few scattered, very small appressed hairs ( Fig. 12 )................................. gordoni 8. In front view, propodeal spines directed upward at angle of greater than 60° to horizontal plane (may be almost vertical), the angle between them approximately 45° (Fig. 2).................................................. angusticornis -. In front viewed, propodeal spines directed upward at angle of 45° or less to horizontal plane, the angle between them at least 90° ( Fig. 21 )........................................................................................ 9 9. Dorsum of petiolar node angular; when viewed from the front base of propodeal spines narrow, the spines forming a “V” with a narrowly rounded angle between their bases; legs long ( Fig. 21 ) (Western Australia ).............................. 10 -. Dorsum of petiolar node broad, weakly convex to weakly concave; when viewed from the front, base of propodeal spines broad, the spines forming a “U” with a broad concavity connecting their bases (sometimes this region flat or weakly convex); legs short ( Fig. 14 ) (South Australia and eastward)......................................................... 12 10. Legs entirely light red or orange ( Fig. 27 )............................................................. ypsilon -. Femora dark reddish-brown or black, tibiae varying from dark brown to light red.................................. 11 11. Legs bicoloured, dark femora contrasting with more lightly coloured tibiae ( Fig. 21 )....................... rufotibialis -. Legs uniformly coloured dark red-brown to reddish-black ( Fig. 16 ).......................................... niger 12. Legs dark red-brown, at most only slightly lighter in colour than the body ( Fig. 14 )............................ inferus -. Legs yellowish-red, distinctly lighter than the colour of the body ( Fig. 23 ).................................. scabridus 13. Posterior face of propodeum weakly concave, separated from the dorsal face by at most a weakly defined angle; sculpturing on head minimal, either essentially absent or consisting of very fine reticulations ( Fig. 3 ) ( australis group)............... 14 -. Posterior face of propodeum strongly concave, separated from the dorsal face by a distinct carina; sculpturing on head consist- ing of large, shallow to moderately deep fovea ( Fig. 24 ) ( scrobiculatus group).................................... 18 14. Head yellowish-red ( Fig. 22 ).......................................................................... 15 -. Head dark reddish-brown to black ( Fig. 3 )................................................................ 17 15. Dorsum of propodeum falling away posteriorly so that the angle is below the level of the metanotal groove ( Fig. 19 ).. parvus -. Dorsum of propodeum evenly convex, the angle at approximately the same level as the metanotal groove ( Fig. 15 )...... 16 16. Head and dorsum of pronotum finely reticulate, the surfaces matte ( Fig. 15 ).................................. kathae -. Head and dorsum of pronotum smooth, the surfaces shiny ( Fig. 22 )........................................ rutilus 17. First tergite of gaster with elongate erect hairs but lacking appressed pubescence ( Fig. 3 )...................... australis -. First tergite of gaster with both elongate erect hairs and fine, silvery appressed pubescence ( Fig. 13 )............. goudiei 18. Pubescence on first gastral tergite abundant, the individual hairs overlapping ( Fig. 26 )............................ 19 -. Pubescence on first gastral tergite sparse, the individual hairs generally not overlapping, or hairs absent ( Fig. 20 )........ 21 19. Dorsum of pronotum essentially smooth, the sculpturing at most very fine, the surface shiny; metanotal groove relatively deep ( Fig. 6 ) (SA, southern WA).......................................................................... clusor -. Dorsum of pronotum heavily sculptured, the surface dull; metanotal groove relatively weekly developed ( Fig. 24 ) (north-east- ern NSW, Qld)...................................................................................... 20 20. Gaster similar in colour to body (both dark brown to black) ( Fig. 24 ).................................. scrobiculatus -. Gaster much lighter in colour compared to body (body dark brown to black, gaster dull yellow) ( Fig. 26 ).......... turneri 21. Tibiae lacking erect hairs ( Fig. 25 )................................................................. semiorbis -. Tibiae with erect or suberect hairs ( Fig. 1 )................................................................. 22 22. Dorsum of propodeum elongate (longer than posterior face) and weakly convex, the carina separating dorsal and posterior faces produced as sharp shelf; pale markings present near lower margin of eye ( Fig. 1 ).................... albamaculus -. Dorsum of propodeum shorter (at most approximately the same length as the posterior face) and strongly convex, the carina separating dorsal and posterior faces a narrow carina; without pale markings near lower margin of eyes ( Fig. 20 )........ 23 23. Dorsum of propodeum highly arched and often with flat or even weakly concave sections; posterior face of propodeum deeply concave and often nearly semicircular; in dorsal view the pronotum with strongly developed shoulders, the area between the shoulders weakly convex to weakly concave ( Fig. 20 )................................................... reflexus - Dorsum of propodeum more weakly and evenly convex, occasionally with a flat or nearly flat section posteriorly; posterior face of propodeum less deeply concave and much less semi-circular; in dorsal view the pronotum with only weakly defined shoulders, the area between the shoulders more strongly convex to flat ( Fig. 18 ).................................. 24 24. Gaster yellowish red and lighter in colour than mesosoma ( Fig. 18 )........................................ omicron -. Gaster dark brown to black, darker than mesosoma when mesosoma is lightly coloured (similar to mesosoma in colour when entire body dark brown to black)....................................................................... 25 25. Head and pronotum weakly and superficially areolate, the overall sculpturing pattern indistinct ( Fig. 4 )........... canopus -. Dorsum of head and pronotum with large but shallow and closely spaced foveae, the lateral pronotum distinctly striate, the overall sculpturing pattern very distinct ( Fig. 17 )........................................................... 26 26. Head reddish to reddish-brown and lighter in colour than dark brown to black gaster; mesosoma and gaster with both erect hairs and scattered, appressed pubescence ( Fig. 17 )................................................. nigricornis -. Head dark brown to black and similar in colour to gaster; mesosoma and gaster with erect hairs but little or no appressed pubescence ( Fig. 11 )............................................................................ formosus