Threat Level: Low

Plagiolepis alluaudi is a minute, pale yellow species with 11-segmented antennae, eyes that lie within the outline of the face, no erect pilosity on the dorsum of its mesosoma, and a circular head. Like all formicines, P. alluaudi has a single waist segment (although it can be hidden by the gaster) and an acidopore.

Several minute to small, pale colored ants with a single waist segment can be confused with P. alluaudi. There are several small to minute species of Paratrechina related to Pa. oceanica and Pa. minitula (none of which appear in PIAkey) that appear similar to Pl. alluaudi but those species have erect pilosity on the mesosoma and face, and have a more strongly impressed metanotum. Tapinoma melanocephalum might also appear similar, but has a dark face contrasting with a pale body, and lacks an acidopore.

Camponotus species often appear close to Plagiolepis in identification keys because neither of them have an impressed metanotum (a rare condition for formicines). However, no Camponotus species approaches the minute size of P. alluaudi, and most have erect hairs on the mesosoma. Furthermore, Camponotus species almost all have polymorhpic worker castes and tend to have oval shaped heads that are longer than wide, while the head of P. alluaudi is circular.

Plagiolepis alluaudi is not known to cause significant harm to ecological or agricultural systems, although it has spread across the tropics. Taylor and Wilson (1967) report it as apparently being native to Africa. It is more often found on vegetation in forested areas than in urban landscapes.

One waist segment (petiole) Petiole raised Petiole sometimes hidden by gaster
Gaster armed with acidopore
Metanotum not impressed Mesosoma with hairs absent
Head as wide as long
Eyes inside outline of head

Plagiolepis alluaudi vs. Camponotus species & Paratrechina species

	P. alluaudi	Camponotus spp.	Paratrechina spp.
Head
Profile
Metanotum	not impressed	not impressed	impressed
Erect hairs	few, thin & not produced in pairs	many, thin & not produced in pairs	many, thick & produced in pairs
Head shape	width equal to length (circular)	longer than broad (oval)	longer than broad (oval)
Worker caste	monomorphic	polymorphic	monomorphic
Size	minute (<2mm)	large (≥5mm)	small (<3mm)
	P. alluaudi	Camponotus spp.	Paratrechina spp.

• 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.