Leptanilloides nomadus

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Leptanilloides nomadus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dorylinae
Genus: Leptanilloides
Species: L. nomadus
Binomial name
Leptanilloides nomadus
Donoso, Vieira & Wild, 2006

Leptanilloides nomada casent0104901 profile 1.jpg

Leptanilloides nomada casent0104901 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Donoso et al. (2006) - The type colony was collected at night from a series of subterranean trails and small chambers along a trail-cut in a cloud forest. The trails emerged above ground for short sections spanning several centimeters. Workers flicked their antennae in a manner similar to that observed in ecitonine army ants. The colony contained numerous larvae at the same stage of development, and workers carried the larvae slung underneath their bodies in the same manner commonly observed among army ants (Gotwald 1995) and suspected for other Leptanilloides species (Figure 6 in Brandão, Diniz et al. 1999). This species is reported as Leptanilloides sp. EC1 in Ward (2006).

Identification

A member of the Leptanilloides legionaria species-group.

Donoso et al. (2006) - Relatively large and slender. Genal teeth lacking. Clypeal lamella apron straight. Antenna stout. Mesosoma prominent. Postpetiole relatively small. Hypostomal teeth conspicuous, seen with head in ventral view. Abdominal segment 4 about the same length as following segments combined. Dark reddish coloration.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Ecuador (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

Images from AntWeb

Leptanilloides nomada casent0106087 head 1.jpgLeptanilloides nomada casent0106087 profile 1.jpgLeptanilloides nomada casent0106087 dorsal 1.jpgLeptanilloides nomada casent0106087 label 1.jpg
Paratype of Leptanilloides legionariusWorker. Specimen code casent0106087. Photographer Michael Branstetter, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by UCDC, Davis, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • nomadus. Leptanilloides nomada Donoso, et al. 2006: 50, figs. 1, 2, 7 - 10 (w.) ECUADOR.
    • Type-material: holotype worker, paratype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: holotype Ecuador: Cotopaxi Prov., Bosque Integral Otonga, 1960 m., 00°25.158’S, 79°0.197’W, 2.xii.2003, #AW2146 (A.L. Wild & J.M. Vieira); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: PUCE (holotype); ALWC, BMNH, CASC, LACM, MCZC, MHNG, MZSP, NHMB, NHMW, PUCE, UCDC, USNM (paratypes).
    • [Note: more paratypes are stored in ethanol at PUCE.]
    • Status as species: Borowiec, M.L. & Longino, 2011: 26 (in key); Delsinne, et al. 2015: 7 (in key).
    • Distribution: Ecuador.

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

Description

Worker

Head, in full frontal view, subquadrate and somewhat wider anteriorly (CI 85–88). Lateral margins nearly straight and parallel. Posterior corners rounded and posterior margin slightly concave. Clypeus short with anterior border almost straight and bearing a concave translucent lamellae; with some setae projecting anteriorly. Frontal carina short. Frontal lobes well developed and contiguous between antennal insertions. Gena lacking carina. Mandibles slender, masticatory margin edentate, with distinct basal and apical portions separated by a rounded angle. Eyes absent. Antenna stout and 12 segmented. Torulus conspicuous. Scape long and clavate, extending further than medial distance to posterior margin. First funicular segment longer than broad, submoniliform, gradually increasing in size toward apex but without forming a distinct antennal club. Head in full face view bearing two hypostomal teeth, easily seen under clypeal translucent lamella on ventrum.

Donoso, Vieira & Wild, 2006. Figure 7-18.

Mesosomal dorsum long, slender and flattened. Pronotum stout, with a conspicuous and flexible promesonotal suture. Metanotal groove obsolete. Mesonotum with large and sclerotized lateral lamella. Propodeum long and unarmed. Propodeal declivity very short and rounding into dorsal face. Propodeal spiracle conspicuous and rounded, in middle of the sclerite. Metapleural gland evident but located under translucent (yellow) flanges which are straight but rounded (not sharp) in posterior angle.

Petiole longer than postpetiole and as wide as long in dorsal view. Petiole with straight sides and slightly narrowed from front to rear. In profile, petiolar tergite with two dorsal portions (Figures 7–8). Anterior portion concave and the posterior portion convex. Postpetiole with dorsal edge almost rounded (Figures 9–10). Anterior-ventral portion of petiolar and postpetiolar sternite bearing a deep and rounded process. Petiolar spiracle situated in anterior part of tergite. Postpetiolar spiracle situated anterior to midlength of tergite in lateral view.

Metasoma robust. Abdominal segment 4 about the same length as following segments combined. Tergite of abdominal segment 5 not ring-like but appearing to conceal abdominal segment 6. Abdominal segments 4–5 and 5–6 separated by deep incisions. Spiracle of abdominal segment 4 conspicuous and located at 2/5 length of tergite. Spiracle of abdominal segment 5 and 6 less conspicuous and located more anteriorly than spiracle of abdominal segment 4. Pygidium concealed by the preceding segment and U-shaped.

Legs long (FL 0.50–0.52). Tibia enlarged apically. Tibia of foreleg with a long pectinate spur. Metatibial gland absent. Tarsal claws simple.

Head and mesosoma dark reddish. Gaster lighter in color, to yellowish red. Body bearing abundant white pilosity, denser dorsally than ventrally. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and post-petiole densely foveolate. Body shining.

(holotype, min.-max. of 13 specimens): HL 0.68, 0.65–0.68; HW 0.59, 0.56–0.59; SL 0.42, 0.39–0.42; FL 0.51, 0.50–0.52; LHT 0.54, 0.53–0.57; WL 0.75, 0.72–0.77; PL 0.20, 0.19–0.21; PPL 0.17, 0.17–0.20; CI 87, 85–88; SI 72, 68–73.

Type Material

Holotype worker deposited at Museo de Zoologia. Type locality: Ecuador, Cotopaxi Province, Bosque Integral Otonga, 1960m, 79°0.197’W; 00°25.158’S, 02-Dec-2003, A. L. Wild & J. M. Vieira, leg # AW2146. Pinned paratypes were deposited in the following museums: ALWC, The Natural History Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna, University of California, Davis and National Museum of Natural History. Additional paratypes are pinned or stored in 95% ethanol at ambient temperature at Museo de Zoologia museum.

Etymology

We chose the word nomada in allusion to the nomadic habits of traditional shepherds (nom = to graze; nomad = shepherd; -a, gives a feminine ending to the derivation [latin]).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • 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.
  • Donoso D. A., F. Salazar, F. Maza, R. E. Cárdenas, and O. Dangles. 2009. Diversity and distribution of type specimens deposited in the Invertebrate section of the Museum of Zoology QCAZ, Quito, Ecuador. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 45(4): 437-454.