Anochetus

Wilson EO, 1959, Studies on the ant fauna of Melanesia V. The tribe Odontomachini., Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 120, pp. 483-510 : 502-504

The Genus ANOCHETUS Mayr

List of the Melanesian and Moluccan Species, Arranged into Species Groups and Including New Synonymy

Group of A. cato Forel cato Forel

= Anochetus cato var. subfasciatus Mann

= Odontomachus rossi Donisthorpe

isolatus Mann

seminiger Donisthorpe

splendens Karawajew

Group of A. chirichinii Emery

chirichinii Emery

fricatus Wilson

Group of A. graeffei Mayr

graeffei Mayr

= Anochetus amati Karawajew

= Anochetus minutus Karawajew

= Anochetus punctiventris Mayr

= Anochetus punctiventris subsp. oceanicus Emery

Group of A. variegatus Donisthorpe

variegatus Donisthorpe

Incertae Sedis

filicornis (Wheeler)

Key to the Anochetus Species of Melanesia and the Moluccas, based on the Worker Caste

1. Masticatory border of mandible with a prominent blunt tooth located at midlength ; dorsolateral propodeal corners tuberculate ; dorsal margin of petiolar node concave when node is viewed anteroposteriorly ................................. 2

Masticatory border of mandible lacking a prominent tooth at midlength ; dorsolateral propodeal comers rounded or obtusely angulate; dorsal margin of petiolar node convex to acute in anteroposterior view ................ 3

2. Central portion of pronotum striate and subopaque; dorsolateral corners of petiolar scale forming angles of 80° or more ............ fricatus Wilson

Central portion of pronotum completely smooth and shining; dorsolateral corners of petiolar scale drawn out into spine-like processes of which the apices form angles of 60° or less . .. chirichinii Emery

3. Central portion of pronotum coarsely rugose and subopaque; propodeum angulate when viewed from the side; petiolar scale broad and moderately convex in anteroposterior view; anterior half of first gastric tergite often punctate ............................ graeffei Mayr

Central portion of pronotum smooth and shining; propodeum rounded in side view; petiolar scale narrowed dorsally, its crest strongly convex to acute; anterior half of first gastric tergite always completely smooth and shining ...................................4

4. Intercalary tooth of apical mandibular fork located on the inner border of the ventral tooth about two-thirds the distance from the angle of the fork to the tip of the ventral tooth (position of the median tooth is measured from the center of its base) ; petiolar scale tapering dorsally into a spine .................. variegatus Donisthorpe

Intercalary tooth of apical mandibular fork located on the inner border of the ventral tooth about half way between the angle of the fork and the tip of the ventral tooth; petiolar scale tapered somewhat dorsally but not forming a spine ..............................5

5. Cephalic striae covering most of the dorso-central surface of the head as well as the frontal area ........................... cato Forel

Cephalic striae limited to the area between the frontal carinae ( isolatus superspecies) ...............................................6

6. Head and alitrunk black, gaster and appendages yellowish brown (Waigeo) ............................... seminiger Donisthorpe

Head and alitrunk at most dark reddish brown, gaster and appendages dark yellowish brown to reddish brown ........................7

7. Head and alitrunk dark reddish brown, petiole and gaster dark yellowish brown (eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz). . . isolatus Mann

Head and alitrunk light yellowish brown, petiole and gaster light reddish brown (Aru) ......................... splendens Karawajew