harpax

Fabricius 1804

Mesosomal dorsum with erect hairs; opening of propodeal spiracle viewed perpendicularly slit-shaped, more than twice as long as wide; mandible with approximately 9 teeth; in side view, dorsal outline of mesosoma forms a continuous convexity including mesonotum, metanotum and propodeal dorsum; propodeal groove obsolete or nearly so, and not strongly impressed; cheeks without a distinct carina between lateral clypeal wing and eye margin; stridulatory file absent; arolia absent; head width less than 2.0mm; mesosoma less than 3.6mm long; dorsolateral margin of pronotum with or without a distinct carina.

Similar species: impressa and purpurascens are similar but much larger, and they always lack the humeral carina.

WL: 1.0

guianensis

Weber 1939

Mesosomal dorsum setose; no carina between mandible and eye; propodeal spiracle circular, not slit-shaped; mesotibia with stout setae along outer margin; worker eyeless; mandible subfalcate; color orange.
WL: 1.15

stigma

Fabricius 1804

Opening of propodeal spiracle viewed perpendicularly slit-shaped, more than twice as long as wide (spiracle is very small, and boss around spiracle is round, but actual orifice still slit-shaped); petiole scale-shaped, tapering dorsally to rounded summit; in lateral profile, posterior margin of anteroventral petiolar lobe broadly rounded; mandible with 6 teeth, basal and masticatory margins not well-differentiated; lateral wings of clypeus almost smoothly convex, with a weak transverse ridge, portion anterior to ridge flat to weakly concave, not strongly bent ventrad; head width about 1.2mm.

Similar species: succedanea, cognata, JTL-011.
WL: 1.4

unidentata

Mayr 1862

Mandible with with more than ten teeth; mesosomal dorsum setose; in side view, dorsal outline of mesosoma forms a continuous convexity including mesonotum, metanotum and propodeal dorsum; propodeal groove obsolete or nearly so, and not strongly impressed; a distinct carina runs from the lateral wing of the clypeus near the mandibular insertion to or nearly to the anteromesal quarter of the margin around the eye; propodeal spiracle slit-shaped; acrotergite of second gastral tergum (when exposed) with a distinctly differentiated median stridulatory file with bands of rainbow colors; arolia present; petiolar node as seen from the side with front face rising abruptly to an angular summit at or near the front, from which it descends behind through a broad curve; posterior face of petiolar node densely and finely punctulate, not striate; clypeus with projecting anteromedian tooth.

WL=1.75

crenata

Roger 1861

Mesosomal dorsum with erect hairs; opening of propodeal spiracle viewed perpendicularly slit-shaped, more than twice as long as wide; mandible with ten or more teeth; in side view, dorsal outline of mesosoma forms a continuous convexity including mesonotum, metanotum and propodeal dorsum; propodeal groove obsolete or nearly so, and not strongly impressed; distinct carina runs from the lateral wing of the clypeus near the mandibular insertion to or nearly to the anteromesal quarter of the margin around the eye; acrotergite of second gastral tergum (when exposed) with a distinctly differentiated median stridulatory file with bands of rainbow colors; arolia present; petiolar node as seen from the side more or less subquadrate, with vertical anterior and posterior faces and a horizontal but convex dorsal face; color red orange.

WL: 1.85

ferruginea

F Smith 1858

Mesosomal dorsum setose; no carina between mandible and eye; orifice of propodeal spiracle circular, not slit-shaped (note that other species may have a circular boss around the spiracular orifice, but orifice itself is slit-shaped); clypeus truncate anteriorly; color red brown.

This species or species complex shows strong geographic variation in petiole shape (figure: reduced original).

WL~1.9

pergandei

Forel 1909

WL: 2.0

arhuaca

Forel 1901
Small black species; mesosomal dorsum setose; no carina between mandible and eye; orifice of propodeal spiracle circular, not slit shaped (note that other species may have a circular boss around the spiracular orifice, but orifice itself is slit-shaped); scapes barely attaining margin of vertex; petiole scale-shaped, tapering dorsally.

WL: 2.0

carinulata

Roger 1861

Mesosomal dorsum with erect hairs; opening of propodeal spiracle viewed perpendicularly slit-shaped, more than twice as long as wide; mandible with ten or more teeth; in side view, dorsal outline of mesosoma forms a continuous convexity including mesonotum, metanotum and propodeal dorsum; propodeal groove obsolete or nearly so, and not strongly impressed; distinct carina runs from the lateral wing of the clypeus near the mandibular insertion to or nearly to the anteromesal quarter of the margin around the eye; acrotergite of second gastral tergum (when exposed) with a distinctly differentiated median stridulatory file with bands of rainbow colors; arolia present; petiolar node as seen from the side with anterior and posterior faces strongly converging above to form a sharply rounded summit near midlength; color black with orange legs.

WL: 2.3

constricta

Mayr 1884

Mesosomal dorsum setose; no carina between mandible and eye; scapes extend far beyond margin of vertex; color gray-black; orifice of propodeal spiracle circular, not slit-shaped (note that other species may have a circular boss around the spiracular orifice, but orifice itself is slit-shaped); propodeal suture deep, resulting in dorsal profile of two distinct convexities.
WL: 2.3

striatinodis

Emery 1890

Mandible with more than ten teeth; mesosomal dorsum setose; in side view, dorsal outline of mesosoma forms a continuous convexity including mesonotum, metanotum and propodeal dorsum; propodeal groove obsolete or nearly so, and not strongly impressed; a distinct carina runs from the lateral wing of the clypeus near the mandibular insertion to or nearly to the anteromesal quarter of the margin around the eye; propodeal spiracle slit-shaped; acrotergite of second gastral tergum (when exposed) with a distinctly differentiated median stridulatory file with bands of rainbow colors; arolia present; petiolar node as seen from the side with front face rising abruptly to an angular summit at or near the front, from which it descends behind through a broad curve; posterior face of petiolar node coarsely transversely striate over all or most of surface.

WL: 2.75

laevigata

F Smith 1858

Black; very smooth and shining, forming a highly polished, reflective surface over most of body.
WL~3.3

JTL-011

Longino MS
Opening of propodeal spiracle viewed perpendicularly slit-shaped, more than twice as long as wide (spiracle is very small, and boss around spiracle is round, but actual orifice still slit-shaped); petiole scale-shaped, tapering dorsally to rounded summit; mandible with 7 teeth, basal and masticatory margins distinct; lateral wings of clypeus divided by distinct transverse ridge, anterior portion distinctly concave and bent ventrad; frontal carinae not very closely approximated, ratio of greatest distance between frontal carinae to smallest distance 2.5; in lateral profile, anteroventral petiolar lobe short and deep, posterior margin subangular to square-cut.
Similar species: succedanea, stigma, cognata.

WL: 3.4

impressa

Roger 1861

Mesosomal dorsum with erect hairs; opening of propodeal spiracle viewed perpendicularly slit-shaped, more than twice as long as wide; mandible with approximately 9 teeth; in side view, dorsal outline of mesosoma forms a continuous convexity including mesonotum, metanotum and propodeal dorsum; propodeal groove obsolete or nearly so, and not strongly impressed; cheeks without a distinct carina between lateral clypeal wing and eye margin; stridulatory file absent; arolia absent; head width greater than 2.0mm; mesosoma greater than 3.6mm long; dorsolateral margin of pronotum uniformly punctate, rounded; clypeus narrow front to back, with deep median notch that extends almost to anterior margins of frontal lobes.

Similar species: harpax is smaller, and usually has a dorsolateral carina on the pronotum; purpurascens has a deeper (front to back) clypeus.

WL: 3.7

obscuricornis

Emery 1890

Black satiny surface; no erect setae on mesosomal dorsum; brown antenna tips. Nearly identical in morphology and behavior to P. apicalis, with which it is nearly always sympatric. Pachycondyla apicalis has bright yellow antenna tips, and the petiole is slightly more inflated with less distinct lateral margins posteriorly.

WL: 3.75

villosa

Fabricius 1804

Mesosomal dorsum with erect hairs; opening of propodeal spiracle viewed perpendicularly slit-shaped, more than twice as long as wide; mandible with approximately 13 teeth; dorsal outline of mesosoma interrupted by a distinct, impressed propodeal groove, so that the mesonotum forms a convexity separate from the more or less convex propodeal dorsum; in full-face view, a line drawn through the centers of the eyes falls near head mid-head, crossing near posterior limits of frontal carinae; cheeks with a distinct carina reaching from clypeal wing to eye margin; anterior face of petiolar node perpendicular, forming an angular anterodorsal summit; sides and posterior face of petiole smooth, not rugulose; head width including eyes usually greater than 2.2mm, width of pronotum greater than 1.55mm.

Similar species: bugabensis, insignis, theresiae.

WL: 4.0

foetida

Linnaeus 1758

Mesosomal dorsum with erect hairs; opening of propodeal spiracle viewed perpendicularly slit-shaped, more than twice as long as wide; mandible with approximately 13 teeth; dorsal outline of mesosoma interrupted by a distinct, impressed propodeal groove, so that the mesonotum forms a convexity separate from the more or less convex propodeal dorsum; in full-face view, a line drawn through the centers of the eyes falls near head mid-head, crossing near posterior limits of frontal carinae; cheeks with a distinct carina reaching from clypeal wing to eye margin; anterior face of petiolar node perpendicular, forming an angular anterodorsal summit; posterior face of petiolar node coarsely, transversely striate to apex; head width including eyes greater than 2.0mm.

WL: 4.25

apicalis

F Smith 1857

Black satiny surface; no erect setae on mesosomal dorsum; bright yellow antenna tips. Nearly identical in morphology and behavior to P. obscuricornis, with which it is nearly always sympatric. Pachycondyla obscuricornis has brown antenna tips, and the petiole is slightly more margined posteriorly.

WL: 4.75