Monomorium, Mayr

Sparks, Kathryn S., Andersen, Alan N. & Austin, Andrew D., 2014, Systematics of the Monomorium rothsteini Forel species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a problematic ant group in Australia, Zootaxa 3893 (4), pp. 489-529 : 494

Diagnosis of the Australian species of Monomorium

A diagnosis of the workers, queens and males of the Australian species of Monomorium is presented in Heterick (2001). Heterick also proposed seven species groups for the Australian Monomorium based on shared characters that he recognised as synapomorphies for each group. The monophyly of some of these groups, and indeed the genus more broadly, is challenged by molecular data ( Ward et al. 2014; Sparks et. al. unpublished). However, the M. rothsteini species complex is undoubtedly monophyletic, possessing several shared characters that distinguish its members from all other species of Australian Monomorium .