Ochetellus glaber group - PIAkey factsheet

Threat Level: Low

The Ochetellus glaber group comprises small, dark, fast moving species often found on vegetation. The acutely angled propodeum and concave propodeal declivity immediately distinguish the O. glaber group from all other PIAkey dolichoderines. Other characters that can be used to confirm the identity are the single waist segment that is raised, 12-segmented antennae, and eyes that do not break the outline of the head in face view. A closer inspection will reveal most body surfaces to be rough, except for a shining and often iridescent gaster.

It is recommended that specimens matching the descriptions given here and in the PIAkey be determined as "Ochetellus glaber group" rather than "Ochetellus glaber " until a detailed taxonomic study is of the group is completed. See the nomenclature section for more details.

Although the Ochetellus glaber group may contain one or more species that have established populations outside of their natives ranges, none of them are believed to cause significant harm to the native or agricultural environments.

Waist with one segment (petiole) that is raised, not flat
Gaster not armed with sting or acidopore
Propodeum acutely angled and projecting over the propodeal declivity
Eyes, in full face view, do not break outline of head

Ochetellus glaber vs. Iridomyrmex anceps group, Linepithema humile, Technomyrmex species

	O. glaber group	I. anceps group	L. humile	Technomyrmex spp.
Head
Profile
Propodeum	acutely angled	obtusely rounded	obtusely rounded	obtusely rounded
Petiole	raised	raised	raised	flat
Dorsum of mesosoma with erect hairs	absent	present	absent	present
	O. glaber group	I. anceps group	L. humile	Technomyrmex spp.

Ochetellus glaber group
CASENT0171060
(head)

Ochetellus glaber group
CASENT0171060
(profile)

Ochetellus glaber group
CASENT0171060
(dorsal)

Ochetellus glaber group
CASENT0171060
(label)

No video is available for this species.

Subfamily Dolichoderinae

The Ochetellus glaber group is in need of taxonomic revision before definitive names can accurately be associated with specimens collected in the Pacific. Although subspecies are described from Fiji, New Caledonia, and New Guinea, it is not clear if they are native to those regions or are geographic subpopulations of O. glaber. A taxonomic revision of the group is required to determine if the specimens commonly identified as O. glaber represent one species or several species.

The species in this group were originally described as belonging to Iridomyrmex, but were combined in Ochetellus in 1992 (Shattuck).

The following names are included in the group for the purposes of PIAkey.

Ochetellus glaber. Hypoclinea glabra Mayr, 1862: 705 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA. Mayr, 1876: 81 (q.); Crozier, 1969: 251 (k.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1974b: 398 (l.). Combination in Iridomyrmex: Mayr, 1865: 61; in Ochetellus: Shattuck, 1992a: 17. Senior synonym of itoi: Wu & Wang, 1995: 124. See also: Brown, 1958h: 40. Current subspecies: nominal plus clarithorax, consimilis, sommeri.

Ochetellus sororis. Iridomyrmex sororis Mann, 1921: 469, fig. 26 (w.q.m.) FIJI IS. Combination in Ochetellus: Shattuck, 1992a: 17.

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.

Wilson, E.O. & Taylor, R.W. (1967) The ants of Polynesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pacific Insects Monograph, 14, 1-109. [referred to as Iridomyrmex glaber]