The Ants of Africa New and enhanced Keys developed for this website as at 30 December 2008, additions March 2009; August 2009

* with digital photographs original to this site; from among a total of over 480 including those for established species.

Diagnostic keys to workers from sub-Saharan Africa

There is a sense in which all the diagnostic keys are original as there are no published precedents with images incorporated in the structure of the key. However, the keys fall into two categories; those without any modern precedents and those developed from keys published since 1952, i.e. from the Hypoponera key of Bernard (1952) onwards.

AENICTINAE

Genus Aenictus Shuckard first key

Genus Aenictus Shuckard first key to males (June 2009)

AENICTOGITONINAE

Genus Aenictogiton Emery key translated and developed from that of Santschi (1924d)

AMBLYOPONINAE

Subfamily Amblyoponinae Forel key derived in part from Bolton (1994)

Genus Amblyopone Erichson first key

Genus Prionopelta Mayr first key

CERAPACHYINAE

Genus Cerapachys F. Smith key developed from Brown (1975)

Genus Sphinctomyrmex Mayr first key

Genus Simopone Forel key developed and expanded from Brown (1975)

DOLICHODERINAE

Subfamily DOLICHODERINAE Forel key derived in part from Bolton (1994)

Genus Axinidris Weber key developed from Shattuck, 1991, and Snelling, 2007)

Genus Tapinoma Förster first key

Genus Technomyrmex Mayr - 2007 key derived in part from that compiled by Wheeler (1922) for Engramma; now updated and developed with additions reflecting Bolton (2007)

DORYLINAE

Subfamily DORYLINAE Forel key derived in part from Wheeler (1922) and van Boven (1975: 17)

Subgenus Anomma Shuckard first key

Subgenus Dorylus Fabricius first key; new key to males (August 2009)

Subgenus Rhogmus Shuckard first key

Subgenus Typhlopone Westwood first key - August 2009 - with disentanglement of synonymization and redefinition of species

FORMICINAE

Subfamily FORMICINAE Wheeler key derived in part from Bolton (1994)

Genus Anoplolepis (Santschi) first key

Genus Camponotus Mayr first key to separate subgenera

Subgenus Myrmacrhaphe Santschi first key

Subgenus Myrmamblys Forel first key

Subgenus Myrmespera Santschi first key

Subgenus Myrmisolepis Santschi first key

Subgenus Myrmopelta Santschi key developed from Santschi (1926a)

Subgenus Myrmopiromis Wheeler first key

Subgenus Myrmopsamma Forel first key

Subgenus Myrmosaga Forel first key

Subgenus Myrmosericus Forel first key

Subgenus Myrmotrema Forel first key

Subgenus Orthonotomyrmex Ashmead first key

Subgenus Paramyrmamblys Santschi first key

Subgenus Tanaemyrmex Ashmead first key

Genus Cataglyphis Foerster first complete key

Genus Lepisiota (Mayr) first key

Genus Oecophylla F. Smith variability study of "Oecophylla longinoda" with keys

Genus Paratrechina Motschulsky first key

Genus Phasmomyrmex Stitz first key

Genus Plagiolepis Mayr first key

Genus Polyrhachis F. Smith key developed from Bolton (1973b)

Genus Pseudolasius Emery key developed from Menozzi (1924b), with reference to LaPolla (2004)

Genus Tapinolepis (Emery) first key

MYRMICINAE

Subfamily MYRMICINAE (Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835) key derived in part from Bolton (1994)

Genus Atopomyrmex André modern key

Genus Calyptomyrmex Emery key developed from Bolton (1981a)

Genus Cardiocondyla Emery key developed from Bolton (1982) and incorporating revisions by Rigato (2002) and Seifert (2003)

Genus Carebara Westwood first key but not incorporating the views of Fernandez (2004) on synonymizing Afroxyidris, Oligomyrmex and Paedalgus in the genus Carebara

Genus Cataulacus F. Smith key developed from Bolton (1982) with later additions

Genus Crematogaster Lund updated key to subgenera (after Santschi in Wheeler, 1922)

Subgenus Atopogyne Forel first key

Subgenus Crematogaster Lund first key

Subgenus Decacrema Forel first key

Subgenus Oxygyne Forel first key

Subgenus Orthocrema Santschi first key

Subgenus Sphaerocrema Santschi first key

Genus Cyphoidris Weber key developed from Bolton (1981b)

Genus Melissotarsus Emery key developed from Bolton (1982)

Genus Meranoplus F. Smith key developed from Bolton (1981a)

Genus Messor (Forel) key developed and expanded from Bolton (1982)

Genus Microdaceton Santschi key developed and expanded from Bolton (1983)

Genus Monomorium Mayr key developed and expanded from Bolton (1987)

Genus Myrmicaria Saunders new key, in part following Santschi (1925c)

Genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler key developed and expanded from Bolton (1982) and incorporating Snelling (1992)

Genus Oligomyrmex Mayr new keys to major and minors retaining Genus status, with deference to Fernandez (2004)

Genus Pheidole Westwood first keys to major and minor workers

Genus Pristomyrmex Mayr key developed and expanded from Bolton (1981b)

Genus Pyramica Roger keys developed and expanded from Bolton (1983); with a key to historic subgenera to facilitate determinations

Genus Rhoptromyrmex Mayr key developed from Bolton (1986a)

Genus Solenopsis Westwood first key

Genus Strumigenys F. Smith key developed and expanded from Bolton (1983)

Genus Temnothorax Mayr key developed from Bolton (1982)

Genus Terataner Mayr key developed from Bolton (1981b)

Genus Tetramorium Mayr key extensively developed from Bolton (1976, 1980, 1885)

PONERINAE

Subfamily PONERINAE (Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835) key derived in part from Bolton (1994) and pre-dating Bolton & Fisher (2008c), plus additions for one new and one revised genus in the latter work

Genus Anochetus Mayr key extensively developed from Brown (1978c)

Genus Asphinctopone Santschi first key published well before Bolton & Fisher (2008a) and now noting their proposals

Genus Centromyrmex Mayr first key published well before Bolton & Fisher (2008c) and now noting their changes

Genus Hypoponera (Santschi) key extensively developed from Bernard (1952), with revisionary notes

Genus Leptogenys Roger key extensively developed from Bolton (1975a)

Genus Pachycondyla F. Smith with a novel key to the historic subgenera to facilitate recognition and first keys to the species

Genus Phrynoponera Wheeler key developed from Wheeler (1922) and published well before Bolton & Fisher (2008b) and now noting their changes and making one addition

Genus Platythyrea Roger key developed from Brown (1975)

Genus Plectroctena Roger key developed from Bolton (1974b) and Bolton & Brown (2002)

Genus Psalidomyrmex André key developed from Bolton (1975b)

PROCERATIINAE

Subfamily Proceratiinae Bolton (2003) key derived in part from Bolton (1994)

Genus Discothyrea Roger first key

Genus Probolomyrmex Mayr key after Taylor, R. W. (1965d)

Genus Proceratium Roger key developed from Terron (1981)

PSEUDOMYRMECINAE

Genus Tetraponera F. Smith with first key to all species; key derived in part from Ward (2006) with reservations

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