Odontomachus malignus

Sorger, D. M. & Zettel, H., 2011, On the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Philippine Islands: V. The genus Odontomachus Latreille, 1804., Myrmecological News 14, pp. 141-163 : 155

Odontomachus malignus species group

Diagnosis: Palp formula 4, 4. Head short, posteriorly with pair of tubercles. Mandibles long with long and sharp apical and subapical teeth. Antennae relatively short. Mesosoma not depressed. Pronotum with delicate sculpture. Petiole comparatively small and low.

Diversity and distribution: This group contains only one species, O. malignus from the western Pacific area.

Notes: Brown (1976) included O. malignus in the O. infandus species group, mainly because of its mandibular structures. However, the short head, short scape, and comparatively high and stout mesosoma differ considerably from both the O. infandus and the O. rixosus species group. The combination of morphological characters and the unique biology justify the erection of a separate species group.