Keys to Solenopsis from Egypt

Worker

1 Eyes with more than one facet...................................................................................................................................... 2 - Eyes with a single facet ................................................................................................................................................ 3 2 Eyes with 9 facets, the outer circle of facets enclosing a single relatively large facet; head with weakly convex sides and an impressed occipital margin (Plate 2, Figs. a, b, c) ......................................................................................... lou - Eyes with 12 facets and 4 facets in the longest row; head with nearly parallel sides and a distinctive flattened profile (Plate 1, Figs. d–f).................................................................................................................. major workers of cooperi 3 Head in face view with nearly parallel sides; head in lateral view with flat dorsal and ventral surfaces; propodeum profile with distinct angle at junction of dorsum and declivity; CI ca 78, SI ca 80 (Plate 1, Figs. a–c) ....................... ............................................................................................................................................... minor workers of cooperi - Head in face view with sides nearly parallel or shallowly convex; head in lateral view with convex dorsal and ventral surfaces; propodeum profile with a smoothly rounded transition from dorsum to declivity; CI ca 85 or more, SI ca 75 .............................................................................................................................................................................. 4 4 TL 2.0; head in face view with shallowly convex sides with widely rounded posterior corners; eye length 0.04 times head width (EL 0.02) (Plate 2, Figs d–e) .............................................................................................................. kochi - TL 1.30–1.71; head in face view with clearly parallel sides; eye length 0.1 times head width (EL 0.04–0.05)............ ...................................................................................................................................................................... occipitalis

Gynes

1 Body uniform dark brown, TL 5.7 or more (Plate 2 f–g) ..................................................................................... kochi - Body bicoloured with gaster lighter than head and mesosoma, TL 4.50–5.60 ........................................................... 2 2 Head, mesosoma, and waist dark brown, TL 5.30–5.60, SI 64–79, CI 88–93 ......................................................... lou -.Head, mesosoma, and waist light brown or yellowish brown, with distinctive large ocelli, TL 4.50–4.75, SI 78–91,

CI 73–79 (Plate 1 g –i) ........................................................................................................................................ cooperi

Males

1 Relatively small but with distinctive large ocelli, overall dark brown with contrasting white funiculi and legs, TL

3.0–3.6, HL 0.50 or less (Plate 1 j–l) ................................................................................................................. cooperi - Larger, TL 4.36–5.30, HL 0.60 or more ...................................................................................................................... 2 2 Overall black with yellow funiculi ........................................................................................................................... lou - Overall piceous with yellowish-brown funiculi (Plate 3) .................................................................................... kochi