Tapinoma, Foerster, 1850

Shakur, Mohammad Abdus, Mangaly, Paul, Baidya, Pronoy & Bagchi, Sumanta, 2024, A new species of the genusTapinoma Foerster, 1850 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Western Ghats, India, Asian Myrmecology (e 017005) 17, pp. 1-6 : 5

Key to the Tapinoma lugubre species group workers, modified from Bharti et al. (2013).

1. Anteromedial clypeal margin with a wide shallow medial concavity .................................... ................................. T. lugubre Santschi (Africa)

Anteromedial clypeal margin more deeply concave ............................................................ 2

2. Head relatively wide and short (CI 0.82). Scape relatively short, surpassing the posterior margin of head about 1/4 of its length (SI 0.88) .................. .............. T. wilsoni Sharaf & Aldawood (Arabian Peninsula)

Head narrower and longer (CI <0.8). Scape very long, surpassing the posterior margin of head more than 1/3 of its length (SI> 1) ........................... 3

3. Dorsal surface of propodeum is flat and in line with mesonotum. Scapes lighter in color than head. Scapes relatively smaller: Scape index <1.2. Propodeal declivity index is ≤ 0.4. Body brownish yellow, concolorous with gaster .......................... ......... T. himalaicum Bharti et al., 2013 (Western Himalaya, India)

Dorsal surface of propodeum is convex and rises above the mesonotum. Scapes concolorous with head. Scapes relatively longer: Scape index> 1.3. Propodeal declivity index is> 0.5. Body darker brown, gaster darker (blackish) ........................... ............ T. onaele sp. nov. (Western Ghats, India)