Anochetus
Creators: name: Brown, WL Jr.,
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1978
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Anochetus

description: KEY TO ANOCHETUS SPECIES OF AFRICA, SPAIN AND MADAGASCAR - WORKERS
1. When head is seen in perfect full-face view, antennal scapes extend beyond posterior margins of «occipital» lobes, and/or worker compound eyes> 0.15 mm long 2
- When head is seen in perfect full-face view, antennal scapes fail to reach, or reach but do not distinctly surpass, posterior margins of «occipital» lobes; compound eyes of worker <0.15 mm long 17
2. Nearly all of upper surfaces of body covered with conspicuous, uniform appressed or subappressed pubescence; standing hairs absent or extremely sparse on trunk (limited to 0-4 on pronotum) and first gastric tergum (0-4) 3
- Upper surfaces of body with little or no conspicuous appressed pubescence; standing hairs usually (but not always) more abundant on trunk and first gastric tergum 5
3. Smaller species (HL + ML <1.9 mm) with reduced eyes (eye L <0.18 mm); petiolar node strongly compressed axially, tapered to a narrow apex as seen from the side (figs. 10, 16; E Rhodesia) pubescens [33]
- Larger species (HL + ML> 1.9 mm) with short scapes and large eyes (eye L> 0.22 mm); petiolar node as seen from the side thick, only slightly tapered to a broadly rounded apex (sedilloti group) [21] .... 4
4. First gastric tergum smooth and shining with spaced fine punctures; upper half of vertex usually so, but some samples have patchy striation over part of this surface; at least the anterior half of the pronotum smooth and shining (Tunisia, Eritrea, and dry inland parts of W and C Africa; also in W peninsular India; see key to Asian, etc. species) sedilloti
- First gastric tergum with rugulose sculpture in addition to the punctures over much of its anterior and discal surfaces, rendering it opaque, or at most only weakly shining; vertex continuously striate and opaque to nuchal carina over a wide median area of vertex; pronotal disc entirely striate and opaque (Eritrea, Rhodesia, S Africa) levaillanti
5. Frontal striation of head distinct, prevailingly longitudinal, and continuous (coarse, fig. 3, or fine) to or very nearly to (within 0.1 mm of) nuchal carina in the middle 6
- Frontal longitudinal striation of head not reaching nearly to nuchal carina in the middle, the vertex largely smooth and shining, sculpture much as in fig. 4 (rarely, the «smooth» part of the vertex may be partly covered with fine, superficial striation, much of it oblique or transverse laterad, but the surface generally is shining) 12
6. Gastric terga I and II completely glassy smooth and shining when clean, with only scattered piligerous punctures; frontal striation always fine, 7 or more striae/0.1 mm transect; head broad, Cl> 87 (africanus group) [29] 7
- Gastric terga I and/or II with some reticulate, rugulose or densely punctulate sculpture, at least on the anterior disc of I; frontal striation coarse (fig. 3) or fine; head varying in width, Cl 80-89 10
7. Pronotal disc sculptured 8
- Pronotal disc smooth and shining 9
8. Sculpture of truncal dorsum variable, but showing at least moderate relief and roughness; eyes 0.18-0.26 mm long (W & C Africa) .... africanus
- Truncal dorsum finely and very superficially striate, on pronotal disc nearly smooth, weakly shining; eye L 0.27-0.28 mm (S. Africa: C Natal) .. natalensis
9. Sculpture of propodeal dorsum obsolete or nearly so, reduced to fine, superficial striation, smooth or nearly smooth on posterior half of this surface (fig. 46; E & C Africa) obscuratus
- Sculpture of propodeal dorsum fine, but not effaced (Madagascar) madagascarensis
10. Frontal striation of vertex fine and regular, 7 or more grooves per 0.1 mm transect in center; head usually more or less red in color, contrasting with blackish or piceous trunk and gaster, but in rare (and problematic) samples the body may be largely red, or even dull yellow (W & C Africa to Natal) bequaerti [30]
- Frontal striation of vertex usually coarse and uneven (fig. 3), <7 grooves per 0.1 mm transect in center; head, trunk, petiole and gaster concolorous or nearly so (fig. 42; pellucidus group) [31] 11
11. Color tawny yellow, with lighter appendages, having a somewhat translucent appearance; propodeum usually densely punctulate, opaque; rarely partly rugulose (W & C Africa) pellucidus
- Color black or piceous, with brownish-yellow mandibles, antennae and tarsi; propodeum rugulose (figs. 3, 42; W Africa, Natal) fuliginosas
12. Petiole elongate, its summit bidentate (fig. 48; S. Africa: Zululand) .... faurei [35]
- Petiolar summit unarmed (figs. 25, 45, 47, 49; ghilianii group) [26] ... 13
13. Petiolar node more or less axially compressed, with transverse summit (figs. 25, 45, 47); eye L <0.35 mm) 14
- Petiolar node not axially compressed, L and W subequal, sides converging in front to a blunt, sloping ridge; eye L> 0.36 mm (fig. 49; NW Angola) angolensis [27]
14. Propodeum sculptured 15
- Propodeum entirely smooth and shining (Somalia, E Ethiopia) rothschildi
15. Petiolar node of a particular shape (fig. 25), as seen from side, anterior slope concave, summit bluntly rounded, not or only weakly tapered; as seen from above lunate (W <& C Africa) maynei [28]
- Petiolar node varying in shape; anterior slope as seen from the side usually convex or straight, or if slightly concave, then the summit is strongly tapered (figs. 45, 47) 16
16. Compound eyes 0.18-0.22 mm in greatest diameter (fig. 45; Morocco, S Spain) ghilianii
- Compound eye L 0.20 mm or more in greatest diameter (fig. 47, but shape of propodeum and petiole very variable); W Africa, Sudan and Eritrea S to Angola and Rhodesia) traegaordhi (A. ghilianii and A. traegaordhi may well be variants of a single species).
17. Petiolar node with nearly vertical and parallel anterior and posterior slopes as seen from the side, the apex broadly rounded (apex thicker and less strongly tapered than in any of the species shown in figs. 16-20); small, shining yellow species with tiny eyes (eye L about 0.05 mm (Natal) talpa [34]
- Petiolar node strongly tapered apicad as seen from the side (figs. 17- 20) 18
18. Longitudinal striation of frontal region extending fanwise far posteriad on vertex, embracing front and sides of the posteromedian impression (Madagascar) grandidieri [32]
- Longitudinal striation much shorter, not reaching posteromedian fossa, or at least not extending back on each side of it; striation largely or entirely replaced on middle of posterior half of head by distinct small punctures with shining interspaces 19
19. Petiolar node as seen from the side tapered to a sharp apex (figs. 18, 19); punctures of first gastric tergum usually coarse and conspicuous .. 20
- Petiolar node as seen from the side with apex narrowly rounded (figs. 17, 20); punctures of first pastric tergum fine, inconspicuous (S. Africa) 21
20. Eyes reduced to dots 0.10 mm or less in greatest diameter, filling half or less of the length of the orbital fossa; mesonotal disc straplike, about 3 times as wide as long; color clear yellow (figs. 11, 19; W Africa) .... siphneus [34]
- Eyes usually larger (0.07-0.12 mm long) filling more than half the length of the orbital fossa; mesonotum <2.5 times as wide as long; color brownish-yellow to dark brown, often with head lighter than trunk (figs. 12, 18; tropical Africa) katonae [32]
21. Size larger (HL + ML> 1.50 mm); mesonotal disc <2 times as wide as long (figs. 13, 17; Zululand) jonesi [34]
- Size smaller (HL + ML <1.50 mm); mesonotal disc> twice as wide as long (fig. 20; E Cape Prov.) punctaticeps [32]
description: Published as part of Brown, WL Jr.,, 1978, Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. Part VI. Ponerinae, tribe Ponerini, subtribe Odontomachiti. Section B. Genus Anochetus and bibliography., pp. 549-638 in Studia Entomologica 20 on pages 569-571