Genus Plagiolepis (Formicinae)

• Plagiolepis Mayr, G. 1861: 42 . Type species: Formica pygmaea Latreille, by monotypy.
• Anacantholepis Santschi, 1914e: 36. Type species: Plagiolepis (Anacantholepis) xene Stärcke, by original designation. Elevated to genus: Chapman & Capso, 1951: 212. Synonymy: Brown, W.L. 1973b: 178 (provisional) ; Bolton, 2003: 105.
• Aporomyrmex Faber, 1969: 52. Type species: Aporomyrmex ampeloni Faber, by original designation. Synonymy: Brown, W.L. 1973b: 178, 183 (Aporomyrmex provisional junior synonym of Plagiolepis) ; Brown, W.L. 1973b: 178 (Aporomyrmex provisional junior synonym of Plagiolepis) ; Bolton, 1994: 51 (Aporomyrmex junior synonym of Plagiolepis) .
• Paraplagiolepis Faber, 1969: 65 (as subgenus of Plagiolepis) . Type species: Plagiolepis xene Stärcke, by monotypy. Synonymy: Brown, W.L. 1973b: 178, 183 (Aporomyrmex provisional junior synonym of Plagiolepis) ; Brown, W.L. 1973b: 183 (Paraplagiolepis provisional junior synonym of Plagiolepis) ; Bolton, 1994: 51 (Aporomyrmex junior synonym of Plagiolepis) ; Bolton, 1994: 51 (Paraplagiolepis junior synonym of Plagiolepis) .

• ZOOGEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS.  Nearctic, Palearctic, Afrotopical, Malagasy, Oriental, Indo-Australian, Australasian.
• RECOGNITION.   Small, total length about 2 mm. Antenna 11-segmented; scape surpassing occipital border by less than one-quarter of its length. Eye large with more than 20 facets in greatest diameter. Propodeum rounded and without teeth or spines.
• SIMILAR GENERA.   Some species of Plagiolepis have a thin integument. This combined with their small size makes them easily confused with species of Tapinoma (subfamily Dolichoderinae). Members of Tapinoma have a slit shaped cloacal orifice at the tip of their gaster that is not fringed by hairs.
• TRIBE.  Plagiolepidini.
• TAXONOMY.   Radchenko, 1989b: 153–156 (USSR (in Russian)) .— Bolton, 1994: figs. 156, 157 (SEM (full face and lateral view) of w.) .—Radchenko, 1996: 178–187.—Shattuck, 1999: 106–107, figs. 424–426.—Bolton, 2003: 276.

• alluaudi. Plagiolepis alluaudi Emery, 1894b: 71 (w.) . [Seychelle Is.] Forel, 1907d: 30 (q.) .
• mactavishi. Plagiolepis mactavishi Wheeler, W.M. 1908c: 166 (w.) . [Society I.] Wheeler, W.M. 1922n: 318 (q.) . Synonymy: Smith, M.R. 1958b: 198.
• foreli. Plagiolepis foreli Santschi, 1920g: 165, fig. 1 (w.) . [Switzerland] Variety of alluaudi: Emery, 1921d: 318. Synonymy: Smith, M.R. 1958b: 198.
• ornata. Plagiolepis foreli var. ornata Santschi, 1920g: 166 (w.) . [New Caledonia] Variety of alluaudi: Emery, 1921d: 318. Synonymy: Smith, M.R. 1958b: 196.
• augusti. Plagiolepis augusti Emery, 1921d: 317. [Fiji Is.] Replacement name for junior homonym Plagiolepis foreli Mann, 1921. Synonymy: Smith, M.R. 1958b: 198.
• foreli. Plagiolepis foreli Mann, 1921: 473 (w.) . [Fiji Is.] Junior primary homonym of Plagiolepis foreli Santschi, 1920. The replacement name is P. augusti Emery, 1921. Synonymy: Smith, M.R. 1958b: 198.

• TAXONOMY. Brown, W.L. 1958h: 49.— Smith, M.R. 1958b: 196 (also biological notes) .— Taylor, R.W. & Wilson, 1962: 143.