Leptogenys carbonaria

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Leptogenys carbonaria
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Ponerinae
Tribe: Ponerini
Genus: Leptogenys
Species group: ingens
Species: L. carbonaria
Binomial name
Leptogenys carbonaria
Lattke, 2011

Leptogenys carbonaria P.jpg

Leptogenys carbonaria D.jpg

Specimen Label

Nothing is known about the biology of Leptogenys carbonaria.

Identification

Lattke (2011) - Eye subglobular, placed slightly dorsomedially on head; clypeus with median lobe not acutely pointed and with triangular lobe on each side; cephalic dorsum strigulose; scape punctuate; mandible of uniform width, dorsum finely striolate. Mesosoma mostly strigulose; propodeal declivity rounded in lateral view, without tooth or lobe; petiole in lateral view with convex anterodorsal margin, a short blunt apical tooth and mostly straight posterior margin.

A member of the ingens species group.

This species could be confused with Leptogenys socorda, due to its similar size and subquadrate profile of the petiolar node. L. socorda has a smooth node compared with the rough sculpturing of the node in L. carbonaria; and the metanotal groove is not as deeply impressed in L. socorda.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 11.17333333° to 11.13333333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia (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

Explore-icon.png Explore Overview of Leptogenys biology 
The biology of Leptogenys carbonaria is poorly known.

The Leptogenys genus page has more details about the general biology of ants in this genus, some of which is summarized in what follows. New World species have relatively small ranges, generally occur in humid forests and prey on isopods. Colonies may occur in high densities on a local scale, with up to 5 or 6 species present. Nest size tends to be small with just 20 or 30 individuals in a mature colony. Nests of most species may be found in rotten wood on the ground, usually within cavities in logs or large branches, and also beneath bark. Wood-soil and rock-soil interfaces are another common nesting location, as well as rock crevices, and a few species may nest directly in the soil. Reproduction is most commonly via ergatoid females and, in many species, may include egg-laying workers. ‎

Castes

Queens and males are unknown.

Nomenclature

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

  • carbonaria. Leptogenys carbonaria Lattke, 2011: 174, fig. 29 (w.) COLOMBIA.

Description

Worker

Metrics, holotype (paratypes, n = 3): HL 2.00 (1.90-1.95); HW 1.53 (1.40-1.50); ML 1.25 (1.25-1.40); EL 0.45 (0.40-0.43); SL 2.50 (2.35-2.45); PW 1.30 (1.20-1.25); WL 3.50 (3.35-3.50); PH 1.30 (1.15-1.20); PL 1.35 (1.20-1.30); DPW 0.85 (0.80-0.90) mm. CI 0.76 (0.74-0.77); MI 0.82 (0.83-1.00); OI 0.30 (0.27-0.30); SI 1.64 (1.60-1.68); LPI 0.96 (0.92-0.96); DPI 0.63 (0.67-0.69).

Head in full-face view elongate, slightly wider anterad; posterior and lateral margins forming single convexity anteriorly bound by compound eyes; compound eye occupies approximately one-fourth of the lateral cephalic margin, eye subglobular and set slightly dorsomedially on head. Median clypeal lobe triangular with finely rounded apex, apex slightly constricted; median lobe with triangular lobe at each side. Cephalic dorsum posterad of eye rugulose-scabriculous, and between eye and antennal fossa strigate. Scape densely punctulate, surpassing posterior cephalic border by over a third its length; funicular segments longer than wide; third antennal segment longer than first and at least as long as fourth and fifth combined. Mandible elongate, relatively straight in cephalic full-face view, of uniform width with brief concavity at base of basal margin; dorsal surface finely striolate with sparse punctae; inner margin mostly broadly convex, with single pre-apical denticle; chewing margin concave with single low triangular tooth closer to apical tooth than to pre-apical denticle. Mandible when closed leaves visible gap not wider than maximum mandibular width. Mandible in lateral view with evenly convex anterior margin, mandibular base separated from clypeal lobe by distance greater than third of mandibular thickness. Ventral cephalic surface with strigulae forming concentric ovals; hypostomal tooth shaped as rounded lobe, not visible in dorsal cephalic view; basal sulcus of mandible ill-defined.

Mesosoma in lateral view with two convexities formed respectively by promesonotum and metanotum-propodeum, the latter longer and broader; dorsal and declivitous propodeal margins form continuous convexity. Pronotal sides mostly longitudinally to obliquely strigulate; bordered by deep and crenulate ventral sulcus; propleuron transversely strigulate. Strigulae on mesometapleural and propodeal sides transverse to oblique; mesometapleural suture well impressed; metapleural-propodeal suture weakly impressed; metathoracic spiracle large, elongate and semicircular, tubercle prominent, well-defined and separated by sulcus; propodeal spiracle elongate with vertical longitudinal axis, posteriorly facing. Metapleural gland opening faces posterad. Pronotum with anterior strip of transverse strigulae, medially with longitudinal strigulae; mesonotum and propodeal dorsum transversely strigulate; metanotal groove broad but not deep; propodeal declivity transversely striate. Mesosternal process sub-rectangular, weakly sinuate ventrally in lateral view.

Petiole subquadrate in lateral view, with convex anterodorsal margin, apex of node with blunt point slightly overhanging posterior margin, posterior margin mostly broadly concave, ventrad weakly convex. Width of anterior margin of node less than half that of posterior margin in dorsal view. Node with smooth area next to spiracle in lateral view, becoming imbricate posterad and finally longitudinally strigulose; posterior face transversely strigulose. Posterior lateral margins rounded, posterior face slightly depressed; ventral process forms curved lobe. Anterior postpetiolar margin straight up to half of node height then convex in lateral view. Gaster mostly smooth and shining with sparse punctulae. Head, mesosoma, and petiole with appressed pilosity; body in general with abundant semi-erect hairs; scape with dense decumbent pilosity. Tergite VII with longitudinal median crest along posterior half. Procoxa smooth and shining in lateral view; sides of meso- and metacoxa smooth basally with increasingly dense punctures apicad; dorsally smooth. Metacoxa with posterodorsal low swelling. Profemur basally smooth and apically punctate in lateral view. Head, mesosoma, petiole and abdominal segments III – IV mostly black; mandibles dark brown; antennal segment three with basal half black, apical half and following segments brown; metapleural gland opening brown; apical abdominal segments dark brown.

Type Material

Holotype worker. Colombia, Magdalena, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 695 m, 23.iii.1992, D1. One worker deposited in IAVH. – Paratypes. Colombia, Santa Marta Mountains, Walker Exp. 269, 25.vii.1913, F.M. Gaige. Three workers deposited in LACM, one worker in MCZC.

The holotype specimen is missing an antenna, but it is glued on the point.

Etymology

The species name alludes to the black color of its body. It is derived from the Latin for coal, carbo.

References