Leptanilloides femoralis

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Leptanilloides femoralis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dorylinae
Genus: Leptanilloides
Species: L. femoralis
Binomial name
Leptanilloides femoralis
Borowiec & Longino, 2011

Leptanilloides femoralis casent0106180 p 1 high.jpg

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Specimen Labels

Leptanilloides femoralis has been collected from montane cloud forest habitat. The single collection was from a Winkler sample of sifted litter and rotten wood from the forest floor.

Identification

A member of the Leptanilloides biconstrictus species-group.

Borowiec and Longino (2011) - Worker relatively slender and small compared to most species in the genus, promesonotal connection complete and articulated, abdominal segment III (postpetiole) large relative to petiole, lateroclypeal teeth present, sculpturing moderate, parafrontal ridges present, flange overhanging metapleural gland opening rounded posteriorly. In general habitus and size it is most similar to Leptanilloides gracilis but can be distinguished by the small opening of petiolar spiracle (situated in large depression in gracilis), the pointed flange over the metapleural gland (rounded in gracilis), single pectinate spur on hind tibia (two simple spurs in gracilis), and relatively broader femur (FFeW 0.08–0.09 in femoralis, 0.06–0.07 in gracilis). Both femoralis and gracilis are similar to Leptanilloides biconstrictus from Bolivia and Leptanilloides improvisus from Ecuador, but can be distinguished by the distinctly bulging sternite of the petiole, with the bulge most prominent medially (versus indistinctly broadened anteriorly in biconstrictus and improvisus).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 10.339° to 10.33833333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Venezuela (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Worker

Images from AntWeb

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Worker. Specimen code casent0106180. Photographer Michael Branstetter, uploaded by UC Davis Ant Group. Owned by UCDC, Davis, CA, USA.
BL 2011 Leptanilloides femoralis 4.jpg
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Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • femoralis. Leptanilloides femoralis Borowiec, M.L. & Longino, 2011: 30, figs. 2C, 4A-I (w.) VENEZUELA.
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 22 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: holotype Venezuela: Aragua, Pico Periquito, PN Henri Pittier, 1500 m., 10.339°, -67.706°, 17.viii.2008, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), #16198.06 (P.S. Ward); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: MIZA (holotype); AMNH, BMNH, CASC, FMNH, LACM, MCZC, MIZA, MZSP, PUCE, UCDC, USNM (paratypes).
    • Status as species: Delsinne, et al. 2015: 8 (in key).
    • Distribution: Venezuela.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

HW 0.25, HL 0.32, SL 0.14, MH 0.12, ML 0.42, PrW 0.15, PW 0.09, PL 0.12, AIIIW 0.13, AIIIL 0.11, AIVW 0.22, AIVL 0.18, FFeW 0.09, FFeL 0.19, HFeL 0.19, HTiL 0.22, CI 78, PI 75, MI 29.

(7 measured): HW 0.23–0.25, HL 0.32–0.34, SL 0.14–0.16, MH 0.12–0.14, ML 0.41–0.44, PrW 0.15–0.17, PW 0.08–0.10, PL 0.12, AIIIW 0.12–0.14, AIIIL 0.11–0.14, AIVW 0.22–0.23, AIVL 0.17–0.19, FFeW 0.08–0.09, FFeL 0.18–0.19, HFeL 0.19–0.20, HTiL 0.20–0.22, CI 71–78, PI 67–80, MI 29–32.

With characters of Leptanilloides. Head elongate and rectangular with lateral margins nearly straight and parallel. Posterior corners rounded and posterior border concave. Parafrontal ridge distinct. Clypeus laterally with blunt tooth distinctly pointing outwards. Mandible short, masticatory margin with small teeth and basal margin crenulate. Basal and masticatory margins distinct, but separated by a rounded angle. Maxillary palp two-segmented. Labial palp two-segmented (in situ count). Scape short and clavate. Antennal joints submoniliform, gradually increasing in size toward apex but not forming an antennal club. Mesosoma long, slender and flattened. Pronotum with a flexible promesonotal suture. Metanotal groove absent. Propodeum unarmed. Propodeal declivity very short and rounding into the dorsal face. Propodeal spiracle round, situated posteriorly on the sclerite. Metapleural gland flange conspicuous, translucent and posteriorly blunt. Femur enlarged, broad. Mid tibia with one simple and hind tibia with one pectinate spur. Petiole smaller than abdominal segment III (postpetiole) in dorsal view. Petiole rectangular, uniformly wide across its length in dorsal view and with straight sides and abdominal segment III dilating posteriorly. In lateral view, petiolar tergite with differentiated anterior and posterior faces, posterior tubulated portion short. Petiolar sternite distinctly bulging medially. Abdominal sternites III evenly rounded. Metasoma long and slender. Abdominal segments IV–VI subequal in length in dorsal view and separated by strong constrictions. Pygidium small and mostly concealed by the preceding segment, U-shaped.

Head with abundant punctures with smooth interspaces on average equaling puncture diameter, except on sides where punctures sparser. Mesosoma and abdomen more finely and sparsely punctate. Laterally on mesopleuron, propodeum and petiole fine microreticulate sculpture present. Head, body and appendages with abundant, rather coarse, short and erect hairs. Body color yellowish.

Type Material

Holotype worker: VENEZUELA, Aragua: Pico Periquito, PN Henri Pittier, 10.339° −67.706°, 1500m, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) 17 August 2008 (P. S. Ward #16198.06) [unique specimen identifier CASENT0106180] Instituto de Zoologia Agricola. Paratype workers: 22 workers with the same data as holotype, point-mounted and in alcohol American Museum of Natural History, The Natural History Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Field Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Instituto de Zoologia Agricola, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, National Museum of Natural History, Museo de Zoologia, University of California, Davis.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Borowiec M. L. 2016. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 608: 1–280.
  • Delsinne T., G. Sonet, and D. A. Donoso. 2015. Two new species of Leptanilloides Mann, 1823 (Formicidae: Dorylinae) from the Andes of southern Ecuador. European Journal of Taxonomy 143: 1–35.