Leptanilla kunmingensis

Leptanilla kunmingensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Leptanillinae
Tribe:	Leptanillini
Genus:	Leptanilla
Species:	L. kunmingensis
Binomial name
	Leptanilla kunmingensis; Xu, Z. & Zhang, 2002

The types were collected from a soil sample taken in an evergreen broadleaf forest.

Identification

This new species is close to Leptanilla hunanensis, but clypeus protruding forward with anterior margin evenly concave, in profile view dorsum of petiole roundly convex, in dorsal view postpetiolar node as broad as petiolar node.

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.

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

Known only from the worker caste.

Qian et al. (2024), Fig. 33: Leptanilla kunmingensis 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.

Nomenclature

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

kunmingensis. Leptanilla kunmingensis Xu & Zhang, 2002: 142, figs. 19-21 (w.) CHINA.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype: TL 2.2, HL 0.47, HW 0.37, CI 79, SL 0.27, SI 73, PW 0.25, AL 0.63, ML 0.22, PNL 0.17, PNH 0.15, PNW 0.13, PPNL 0.13, PPNH 0.20, PPNW 0.13.

Head longer than broad, distinctly narrowed forward. In full face view, occipital margin weakly concave, occipital corners bluntly prominent, lateral sides roundly convex. Mandible narrow and slender, masticatory margin with 3 teeth. Clypeus protruding forward and bicarinated, anterior margin evenly concave. Antenna short, with 12 segments, apex of scape reached to 2/3 of the distance from antennal socket to occipital corner, segments 4-10 about as broad as long, antennal club indistinct. In profile view, pronotum evenly convex, promesonotal suture distinct. Mesothorax constricted at its anterior portion, mesonotum convex. Metanotal groove depressed. Propodeum weakly convex, about 2 times as long as declivity, posterodorsal corner rounded. In profile view, dorsum of petiolar node roundly convex, anterior face short and sloped, dorsal and posterior faces formed a single arch. Subpetiolar process very narrow, weakly convex, anteroventral corner acutely angled. In profile view, postpetiolar node shorter than petiolar node, with dorsum roundly convex, the sternite formed a large broad subpostpetiolar process with blunt anteroventrally pointed corner. In dorsal view, petiolar node longer than broad, lateral sides weakly convex. Postpetiolar node nearly square, lateral sides evenly convex, as broad as petiolar node. Mandibles, head and the whole body smooth and shining. Head and body with dense decumbent pubescence. Petiole, postpetiole and gaster with sparse subdecumbent hairs. Scapes and tibiae with dense decumbent pubescence. Body in color brownish yellow.

Paratype workers: TL 2.1-2.2, HL 0.47-0.50, HW 0.37-0.40, CI 76-80, SL 0.23-0.30, SI 64-77, PW 0.25-0.27, AL 0.57-0.63, ML 0.20-0.23, PNL 0.15-0.17, PNH 0.13-0.15, PNW 0.12-0.13, PPNL 0.13, PPNH 0.18-0.22, PPNW 0.12-0.13 (8 individuals measured). As holotype.

Type Material

Holotype worker, No.A00506, 2150 m, Longmen, Xishan Forest Park, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 4 May 2001, collected by Zhao Yu-Xiang in a soil sample in evergreen broadleaf forest. Paratypes: 29 workers, with same data as holotype.

References

Griebenow, Z. 2024. Systematic revision of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 1189, 83–184 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1189.107506).
Liu, C., Fischer, G., Hita Garcia, F., Yamane, S., Liu, Q., Peng, Y.Q., Economo, E.P., Guénard, B., Pierce, N.E. 2020. Ants of the Hengduan Mountains: a new altitudinal survey and updated checklist for Yunnan Province highlight an understudied insect biodiversity hotspot. ZooKeys 978, 1–171 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.978.55767).
Qian, Y.-H., Zheng-Hui, X., Man, P., Liu, G.-L. 2024. Three new species of the ant genus Leptanilla (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from China, with a key to the world species. Myrmecological News 34: 21-44 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_034:021).
Saroj, S., Mandi, A., Dubey, A.K. 2022. A new species of the rare ant genus, Leptanilla Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Eastern Himalaya, India. Asian Myrmecology 15, e015005 (doi:10.20362/am.015005).
Xu, Z.-H.; Zhang, J.-L. 2002. Two new species of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae from Yunnan, China (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Acta Entomol. Sin. 27: 139-144 (page 142, figs. 19-21 worker described)
Zhong, Y. 2024. A new species of the ant genus Leptanilla Emery, 1870 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Sichuan Province, China. Sociobiology 71(3), e10478 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v71i3.10478).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Chen Y., C.-W. Luo, H. W Li, Z. H. Xu, Y. J. Liu, and S. J. Zhao. 2011. The investigation of soil ant resources on the West slope of Mt Ailao. Hubei Agricultural Sciences 50(7): 1356-1359.
Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
Xu Z. and Zhang J.. 2002. Two new species of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae from Yunnan, China (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 27(1): 139-144.