Anochetus

Brown, WL Jr.,, 1978, Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. Part VI. Ponerinae, tribe Ponerini, subtribe Odontomachiti. Section B. Genus Anochetus and bibliography., Studia Entomologica 20, pp. 549-638 : 565-569

KEV TO THE ANOCHETUS SPECIES OF ASIA, MELANESIA AND THE PACIFIC REGION - WORKERS

1. Mesial edge of mandible for much of its length with a single margin bearing 1 or 2 prominent teeth near midlength, or a close series of coarse denticles or teeth on apical half or more (figs. 4, 50) 2

- Mesial edge of mandible with 2 margins up to preapical tooth or angle: dorsal margin edentate (except for the single preapical tooth or angle, when this is present); ventral margin denticulate, crenulate, or smooth (figs. 1-3, 14-15) 8

2. Mandible with 2 large submedian teeth on mesial margin, the distal tooth larger than the proximal (Sri Lanka) nietneri [19]

- Mandible with a single large submedian tooth (fig. 50; New Guinea) .... 3

- Mandible with a close series of 4 or more teeth along the mesial edge .. 4

3. Striation of vertex reaching nuchal carina; central part of pronotum striate or rugulose, though the sculpture may sometimes be weak and nearly smooth in the anterior part of the disc; free corners of petiolar node rounded to sub-rectangular (Papua New Guinea) fricatus [16]

- Striation of vertex separated from nuchal carina by a smooth, shining strip; disc of pronotum completely smooth and shining in the middle (except for small, scattered punctures); free corners of petiolar node produced as acute teeth (NE New Guinea; fig. 34) chirichinii [16]

4. Apex of petiole produced as a tooth or spine (figs. 27, 39) 5

- Apex of petiole narrowly rounded, not toothed (figs. 26, 31) 6

5. Large species, length (TL)> 8 mm (Celebes, Moluccas, fig. 27) gladiator [1]

- Smaller species, length (TL) <7 mm (New Guinea: W. Irian, fig 39) variegatus [8]

6. Coarse striation of vertex continuous to nuchal carina; pronotum completely and boldly rugulose (fig. 26; Sumatra, Malaya, Borneo) .... rugosus [2]

- Vertex striate only in the central part, behind this smooth and shining (fig. 4); pronotum smooth and shining on the disc (fig. 31) 7

7. Mandibles longer (MI> 60); antennal scapes longer, surpassing posterior borders of «occipital» lobes by distinctly more than length of first funicular segment when head is seen in perfect full-face view; head narrower (Cl <90) (Burma to Celebes and Philippines) princeps [4]

- Mandibles shorter (MI <60); antennal scapes surpassing posterior borders of «occipital» lobes at most by length of first funicular segment when head is seen in perfect full-face view; head wider (Cl 90 or more; figs. 4, 31; Malaya, Sumatra, Nias I.) muzziolii [3]

8. Intercalary tooth of mandibular apex small (sometimes worn to an indistinct tubercle, or even missing completely), rising from the dorsal side of the ventral apical tooth well beyond its midlength (measuring length from crotch with dorsal apical tooth; fig. 53) ( risii group) 9

- Intercalary tooth present; (center of its base) arising from near the base of the ventral apical tooth, or from near its midlength (figs. 54, 55) 15

9. Pronotum sculptured over the entire disc 10

- Pronotum smooth and shining over at least the large central part of its disc 11

10. Size large, combined length of head and closed mandibles (HL + ML)> 2.5 mm; frontal striation spread over a wide area of the central vertex (figs. 1, 29; Malaya) tua [9]

- Size smaller, HL + ML <2.2 mm; frontal striation confined to the space between frontal carinae (fig. 37; Luzon) incultas [7]

11. Very slender, elongate, Cl <83; petiole of particular form (figs. 41, 51); perhaps 2 different species included (Borneo, Malaya) agilis [6]

- Head broader; Cl> 83; petiolar form otherwise (figs. 28, 40) .... 12

12. Petiolar apex tapered gradually into a slender, spiniform tip (fig. 40; NE New Guinea) peracer [8]

- Petiolar apex narrowly rounded or nipple-like, not spiniform (figs. 28, 29) 13

13. Center of vertex extensively striate, the striation extending to within 0.2 mm of the nuchal carina (Malaya: Trengganu) strigatellus [11]

- Frontal striation obsolete or restricted to, or nearly to, space between frontal carinae 14

14. Mandibles long (ML> 1.0 mm; MI> 68); worker eye L> 0.25 mm (fig. 28; SE China, Viet Nam, Java) risii [5]

- Mandibles of medium length (ML 0.70-0.90 mm; MI 57-63); worker eye L 0.16-0.21 mm (Java, Borneo, Philippines) modicus [12]

- Mandibles short (ML <0.70 mm; MI about 50); worker eye L 0.13- 0.14 mm (Mindanao) brevis [10]

15. As seen from front view, petiolar node tapered to a bluntly pointed (narrowly rounded or even nipple-like) apex (fig. 38; Melanesia ^and Philippines) cato group [13] 16

- Petiolar node as seen from front view with summit broadly rounded, transverse or concave, more or less as in figs. 21-23, 30 or 33 18

16. Frontal striation nearly confined to space between frontal carinae, and not or only slightly extending posteriad beyond the level of the compound eyes isolatus superspecies 17

- Frontal striation extending over a wide area of central vertex and reaching halfway or more of the distance between level of eyes and posteromedian excision of head (figs. 38, 55; N. Guinea, Bismarck Arch., Solomon Is.) cato

17. Body color dark reddish-brown to yellowish brown (in callows?); HL + ML rarely if ever> 3.0 mm (Melanesia, Philippines) isolatus

- Head, trunk and node piceous; gaster and appendages reddish-brown; HL + ML slightly> 3.0 mm (Waigeo I., W. Irian; doubtfully distinct from isolatus ) seminiger

- Head dark brown or piceous; rest of body light ferruginous to ferruginous yellow; propodeal costulae partly effaced, the surface here smooth and shining (Caroline Is.: Yap) splendidulus

18. Pronotal disc (at least a broad central field) and all of first gastric tergum smooth and shining when clean, with at most fine, spaced punctures 19

- Pronotal disc coarsely striate or punctate-rugulose; smooth interspaces, if any, narrow and usually coarsely punctate; first gastric tergum rugulose,.striate or smooth, with or without coarse punctures 25

19. Modest- or small-sized, lightly pigmented species with reduced eyes: compound eye L <0.15 mm, their greatest diameter <maximum W of a mandible (figs. 14, 15) 20

- Larger species with large eyes: eye L> 0.25 mm and> maximum W of a mandible 24

20. Propodeal angles produced as a pair of short teeth or tubercles (figs. 21-24) 21

- Propodeal angles rounded, unarmed; trunk with sculpture effaced, smooth and shining except for the delicately cross-striate propodeal declivity (W Iran) evansi [23]

21. HL + ML> 1.55 mm 22

- HL + ML <1.55 mm 23

22. Mesonotal disc> twice as wide as long; mesonotal suture deeply impressed, more so than in fig. 23 (Malaya: Perak) my ops [18]

- Mesonotal disc not more than twice as wide as long; meso-metanotal suture distinct, but not deeply impressed (figs. 15, 23; Sri Lanka) longifossatus [18]

23. Tiny species: HL + ML <1.25 mm; mesonotal disc> twice as wide as long (figs. 14, 21, 22; S India) pupulatus [18]

- Slightly larger species: HL + ML of holotype about 1.5 mm; mesonotal disc not> twice as wide as long (fig. 24; Taiwan) subcoecus [17]

24. Petiolar node axially compressed above; anterior slope concave, and summit rather bluntly rounded as seen from the side (much as in fig. 47), but strongly transverse as seen from above; body with very numerous short, fine, erect hairs, much as in fig. 47; appressed pubescence scarcely developed on head, trunk, petiole and gaster; in full-face view of head, antennal scapes surpass posterior borders of «occipital» lobes by at least an apical scape width (S India: Madras State) rufus [20]

- Petiolar node thick, erect, barrel-shaped; anterior slope convex, summit broadly rounded in both directions and only slightly broader than long; body with few or no erect hairs, except for those on apex and underside of gaster (0-9 standing hairs on trunk and first gastric tergum), but with abundant and conspicuous appressed pubescence; when head is viewed fullface, antennal scapes do not reach, or at least do not dstinctly surpass, posterior borders of «occipital» lobes (W peninsular India; see also key to species of Africa, etc.) sedilloti [21]

25. Petiolar node as seen from the side thin, tapered to a very narrowly rounded, or even sharp, apex, shape much as in figs. 23 or 24, or even graeffei group [14] 26

- Petiolar node as seen from the side thick, with broadly rounded summit, about as thick as in fig. 30, and L> 0.25 mm near base of erect part of node orientalis group 27

26. HL + ML <1.75 mm; eye L maximum 0.20 mm, usually much less (see key to Australian species; India to Melanesia, N & E Australia and S Polynesia) graeffei

- HL + ML <1.75 mm; eye L> 0.20 mm; most of vertex smooth and shining, the frontal striation extending only a short distance beyond the level of the eyes (Sri Lanka) yerburyi

- HL + ML 1.75 mm or more; eye L 0.20 mm or more; frontal striation reaching all the way to nuchal carina (Java), or most of the way (Sikkim, Hainan I.) problem samples: "large graeffei ", etc. [14]

27. First gastric tergum densely and more or less opaquely sculptured over at least the anterior half 28

- First gastric tergum smooth and shining, with only scattered, fine piligerous punctures (Sri Lanka, India) madaraszi [15]

28. Anterodorsal margin of petiolar node slightly produced anteriad, overhanging the anterior slope, which tends to be concave, trunk red; first gastric tergum black or piceous, coarsely punctate-striate and opaque to near posterior border (fig. 30; SW India) kanariensis [22]

- Anterodorsal margin of petiolar node broadly rounded, like posterodorsal margin; anterior slope of node convex or straight as seen from the side; trunk, petiole and gaster piceous or blackish, often with bluish opalescence, the first gastric tergum with punctate-rugulose sculpture thinning to nearly smooth and shining on posterior half or third of the segment [22]

(S Viet Nam) orientalis

(S India) obscurior

(The distinction between orientalis and obscurior , if any, is not clear, and the two may well be synonymous).

1. Petiolar node surmounted by a pair of acute, divergent teeth (fig. 35; upper N. Territory) paripungens [24]

- Petiolar node rounded, truncate or emarginate above, but not armed with acute teeth 2

2. Disc of pronotum completely or nearly completely sculptured, or, if disc shining, then coarsely punctate; eye L <0.20 mm (tropical Australia .... graeffei [14]

- Pronotal disc smooth, strongly shining, sometimes finely punctate; eye L> 0.20 mm 3

3. Petiolar node as seen from the side thick at base, then tapering abruptly to a rounded summit from a point near mid-height; apical margin broadly convex as seen from in front (fig. 33; Queensland, mainly high- or medium-rainfall areas) turneri [25]

- Petiolar node in side view narrow to moderately thick, tapering gradually to apex; as seen from front, apex truncate or emarginate (figs. 32, 36) 4

4. Propodeum, metapleura and sides of pronotum rugulose or striate-rugulose, opaque or nearly so; size smaller, HW <1.15 mm (fig. 36; N. S. Wales, Queensland, sporadic) rectangularis [25]

- Sides of pronotum smooth and shining; metanotum and propodeum smooth and shining, or with restricted or widespread striation; size larger, HW> 1.15 mm (fig. 32) S and central Queensland, W N. S. Wales, NW Victoria, W Australia, mainly' in arid or semiarid areas) armstrongi [25]