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Key to Dorymyrmex species in or possible in MS and AL (from Trager 1988;Snelling 1995)
1   
 Mesonotal profile, in all or most of a series of workers, evenly convex or weakly convex to flat
...2

Mesonotal profile, in all or most of a series of workers, angular, having a distinct dorsal and declivious face, these faces meet in a distinct angle
...4
2(1)  
 The profile of promesonotum convex; propodeal base 145° angle or less to the plane of the posterior portion of the mesonotum
..3
The profile of promesonotum flat; propodeal base 164° angle or more to the plane of the posterior portion of the mesonotum
3(2) 
 Head broad (CI > 87); scape relatively short ( SI < 112); the propodeal cone blunt with posterior face straight to slightly convex; color mostly yellow, but sometimes with head and gaster infuscated and faint blotching on alitrunk dorsum; usually found in disturbed habitats in somewhat sandy soils
Head narrower (CI < 87); scape longer (SI > 112); propodeal cone sharper and appearing faintly recurved because the posterior face of the propodeum is slightly concave; bicolored-head dark brown, alitrunk clear yellow (never with faint blotching dorsally), gaster dull brown, found in scrub land in FL
4(1)
 Gaster lacking pubescence, or with at most a few widely spaced setae that do not obscure the sheen on the gastric dorsum; mesonotum acutely angular, the angle between dorsal and declivious faces 90°-120°, mesonotal declivity steep; usually bicolored-head brown, alitrunk orangish, gaster dark brown, appendages pale brown; found in turkey oak savannas and oak scrubland in FL and GA
Gaster densely pubescent, pubescence closely spaced and partly obscuring the sheen of the gastric dorsum; the angle between dorsal and declivious faces broadly obtuse, > 140°; the mesonotal declivity not unusually steep; color variable, not usually distinctly bicolored
...5
5(4)
 Head broad (CI>90); occipital border usually distinctly concave; propodeal cone large and obvious; larger species (HTL>1.95)
....6
Head narrower (CI<88, rarely up to 90); occipital border straight to slightly convex
...7
6(5)
 Scape relatively long (SI 98-111); pubescence dense but very short, absent on sides of head; sides of head shiny; front of head and alitrunk dorsum only slightly dulled by pubescence; head and alitrunk reddish, gaster dark brown; queens small, HTL < 3 mm
Scape shorter (SI 95-105); pubescence dense, dulling front of head and alitrunk dorsum; uniform brown to black; queens larger, HTL > 3.25 mm
7(5)  
 Propodeal cone relatively prominent; pronotum usually with a pair of setae on disc, or if absent, color yellowish to reddish yellow
Propodeal cone short; pronotum without a pair of setae; brown