Key to Pachycondyla species in or possible in MS and AL (from Creighton 1950 and unpublished key to Ponerinae Ants of the U.S. by Mark Deyrup and Lloyd Davis, 2003) |
||
1 |
Smaller, length of worker 5 mm or less and queen length up to 6.5 mm; mandibles usually with 6 teeth (counting apical tooth) and rarely with a partiallydeveloped seventh tooth (eastern U.S.) |
...2 |
Larger, length of worker 8 mm or more and queen length up to 13 mm; mandibles usually with 8 or more teeth and/or denticles (rarely with only 7) (more western, LA and TX) |
...3 |
|
| 2(1) | Mesopleura smooth and shiny; propodeum strongly depressed below mesonotum; worker eye large, with many facets (introduced, mid-east coast south to Alabama) |
|
| Mesopleura finely punctulate; propodeum not strongly depressed; worker eye small, with few facets | ||
| 3(1) | Head with fine irregular longitudinal striae with punctures in between them; in profile the dorsal outline of the alitrunk forms a continuous convexity, this includes the pronotum, mesonotum, and propodeal dorsum; metanotal groove not strongly impressed; pronotum with strong lateral margin; small size (alitrunk < 3.6) | |
| Head with fine, dense punctation, but lacking striae; in profile the alitrunk does not form a continuous convexity, the propodeum clearly separated from mesonotum; metanotal groove deeply impressed; pronotum without lateral margins or they are indistinct; larger species | ||