Introduction

The Dolichoderinae share the following characters with the Aneuretinae and Formicinae (Bolton 2003):

• Dorsal cuticular flap of the metapleural gland anteriorly reduced and posteromedially extended
• Petiole with complete tergosternal fusion
• Postpygidial glands absent

Synapomorphies of the Dolichoderinae are listed by Bolton (2003):

• Slit-like junction of pygidium and hypopygium
• Sting vestigial
• Pygidial glands producing cyclopenanoid monoterpenes (iridoids)
• Larvae with reduced hairs
• Reduced (sensilliform) larval maxillary palp and galea
• Small larval sericteries and reduced larval neck