Leptanilla beijingensis

Leptanilla beijingensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Leptanillinae
Tribe:	Leptanillini
Genus:	Leptanilla
Species:	L. beijingensis
Binomial name
	Leptanilla beijingensis; Qian, Xu, Man & Liu, 2024

Both the holotype and 20 paratype workers of this species were collected using subterranean pitfall traps buried deeply in the soil layer about 30 - 55 cm below the ground in 2015. In addition, using subterranean pitfall traps, a total of 116 workers were collected from nine sampling plots in Beijing. Sampling plots 2 to 4 are situated in the northwest suburban zone of Beijing, where the habitat is a mountainous forested area close to a road and surrounded by farmland. Plots 5 to 10 are located in urban parks and green belts along roads, and are significantly disturbed by human activities. Geographic coordinates are 39° 52' 13 N - 40° 22' 26 N, 115° 52' 5 E - 116° 18' 37 E, and the elevation is 47 - 550 m above sea level (Man & al. 2017).

This species is relatively commonly found living in soil in deciduous broadleaf forest in the mountainous area of Badaling, the northwest suburban zone of Beijing and in the urban parks and green belts along roads that are significantly disturbed by human activities in the City of Beijing with altitudes of 47 - 550 m. The habitat has a temperate climate and belongs to the Palearctic region in northern China.

This species was misidentified as Leptanilla taiwanensis by Man et al. (2017).

Photo Gallery

Qian et al. (2024), Fig. 1: Leptanilla beijingensis holotype worker. (A, D) head in full-face view; (B, E) body in lateral view; (C, F) body in dorsal view. (A - C) illustrations drawn from images, photos by Zheng-Hui Xu; (D - F) images, photos by Zheng-Hui Xu.

Identification

Leptanilla beijingensis is similar to Leptanilla oceanica, but in the new species, in full-face view, median lobe of clypeus broadly protruding anteriorly, anterior margin narrowly and deeply notched in the center, posterior margin of head slightly concave; in dorsal view, petiolar node nearly rectangular and not widening posteriorly, anterior margin strongly convex. While in L. oceanica, in full-face view, median lobe of clypeus narrowly protruding anteriorly, anterior margin widely and shallowly notched in the center, posterior margin of head slightly concave; in dorsal view, petiolar node trapezoidal and distinctly widening posteriorly, anterior margin slightly concave.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Zhong (2024), Fig 5. Geographical distributions of the Chinese Leptanilla species. Locality information was obtained from the original literature of each species and visualized with SimpleMappr.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 40.4° to 39.9°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: Qian et al., 2023

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: China (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

beijingensis. Leptanilla beijingensis Qian et al., 2024: 23, fig. 1 (w.) CHINA (Beijing).

Type Material

Holotype worker: China: Beijing City, Yanqing County, Badaling Town, Xibozi Village, 40° 22' 26 N, 115° 58' 18 E, 550 m above sea level, from an underground trap in deciduous broadleaf forest, 15.X.2015, leg. Pei Man, No. A15-2355.
Paratypes: 20 workers, same data as holotype.

Description

References