Threat Level: Low

Monomorium floricola is a minute, colorful, glassy smooth species. In the field, it can be spotted by it's elongated, shining black body that is often lighter in the middle section. Colonies are capable of recruiting in high numbers to baits and natural food resources, and the species often invades habitations. Closer inspection reveals a sparse scattering of erect white pilosity, an elongate head, and a relatively long petiolar peduncle.

Solenopsis and Cardiocondyla are often confused with Monomorium. Monomorium and Solenopsis lack propodeal spines and are often lightly sculptured or smooth. Solenopsis papuana and its minute, small-eyed relatives are easily mistaken for Monomorium. However, the antennal club of Monomorium is three or more segments, and that of Solenopsis is two segments.

Cardiocondyla also has a three-segmented antennal club, but the presence of propodeal spines (occasionally very small) and a swollen postpetiole (in dorsal view) can help separate it from Monomorium.

Monomorium liliuokalanii is the PIAkey species most closely resembling M. floricola. They are equivalent in size, shape and glassy sculpture. Wilson and Taylor (1967) separate the two species by the length of the petiolar peduncle relative to petiolar node. Although the middle portions of M. floricola are often a shade of red, specimens can also approach the more uniform black of Monomorium liliuokalanii. Recent taxonomic revisions of the Australian and Malagasy Monomorium are also available (Heterick 2001, 2006).

There are many species of Monomorium that have spread across the Pacific Islands that are not included in the current version of PIAkey, including M. latinode, M. sechellense and species belonging to the M. salomonis group. Images of all these species are available at Antweb.

Waist with two segments (petiole & postpetiole)
Propodeal spines absent
Antennal club with three segments
All body surfaces smooth and shining without sculpture
Head and gaster darker than mesosoma and waist, but sometimes the contrast is weak
Worker caste monomorphic (all same size)

	Monomorium	Cardiocondyla	Solenopsis
Head
Profile
Propodeal spines	absent	present	absent
Number of antennal club segments	three	three	two
	Monomorium	Cardiocondyla	Solenopsis

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	M. floricola	M. liliuokalanii	M. destructor	M. pharaonis
Head
Profile
Mesosoma sculpture	absent	absent	absent from propodeum	all
Pale portions of body	mesosoma & waist	absent	all except gaster	all
Petiole length relative to height	approximately equal	distinctly greater	(not applicable)	(not applicable)
	M. floricola	M. liliuokalanii	M. destructor	M. pharaonis

• Antweb: specimen images, data & maps
  
  
• Bolton, B. (1995) A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 504 pp.
  
  
• Heterick, B. (2001) Revision of the Australian ants of the genus Monomorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
  Invertebrate Taxonomy, 15, 353-459.
  
  
• Heterick, B. (2006) A revision of the Malagasy ants belonging to genus Monomorium Mayr, 1855 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 57, 69-202.
  
  
• Wilson, E.O. & Taylor, R.W. (1967) The ants of Polynesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pacific Insects Monograph, 14, 1-109.