Key to Leptanillinae Genera

The following key to genera of the Leptanillinae based on the worker caste is modified from Griebenow et al. (2022) as updated by Griebenow (2024).

This key has been superseded by Keys to Leptanillinae (but it has been updated to reflect the current taxonomy of the subfamily).

1

• Abdominal segment III not constricted posteriorly (Fig. 13a); occiput visible in full-face view (Yamada et al. 2020, fig. 1a) => Opamyrma

• Abdominal segment III constricted posteriorly, forming postpetiole (Fig. 13b, c); occiput not visible in full-face view => 2

• 

  Griebenow et al. (2022), Fig. 13. Profile view of abdominal segments II–III across the Leptanillinae. Profile of abdominal tergite II outlined in magenta; profile of abdominal segment III outlined in blue. (a) Opamyrma hungvuong (AKY05vii17-06) (Yamada et al. 2020, fig. 1C). (b) Protanilla bicolor (CASENT0235341), Estella Ortega (AntWeb). (c) Anomalomyrma helenae (CASENT0220220) (Borowiec et al. 2011, fig. 6). Scale bars: a, 0.5 mm; c, 0.2 mm; c, 0.5 mm.

2

return to couplet #2

• Mandible with peg-like chaetae on medial face (Fig. 3a); mandible with regularly spaced dorsomedial serration; mandible lacking subapical teeth (Fig. 3a, b) => Protanilla

Head of Protanilla rafflesi worker

Profile of Protanilla rafflesi worker

• Mandible without peg-like chaetae on medial face; serration present or absent from dorsomedial margin (Fig. 3c, d), if present then irregularly spaced; mandible with ≥1 subapical tooth => Leptanilla

• 

  Griebenow et al. (2022), Fig. 3. Full-face view of mandibular armature across the Leptanillinae. (a) Protanilla beijingensis (CASENT0842639). Regular serration at mandibular apex outlined in red. (b) Anomalomyrma indet. (CASENT0178553). (c) Leptanilla thai (CASENT0842784). (d) Yavnella laventa (CASENT0842745). PLC, peg-like chaetae. Scale bars: a, b, 0.2 mm; c, 0.04 mm; d, 0.1 mm.

References

• Griebenow, Z.H., Isaia, M., Moradmand, M. 2022. A remarkable troglomorphic ant, Yavnella laventa sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptanillinae), identified as the first known worker of Yavnella Kugler by phylogenomic inference. Invertebrate Systematics 36(12), 1118-1138 (doi:10.1071/is22035).
• Griebenow, Z. 2024. Systematic revision of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 1189, 83–184 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1189.107506).