Leptogenys kitteli

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Leptogenys kitteli
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Ponerinae
Tribe: Ponerini
Genus: Leptogenys
Species: L. kitteli
Binomial name
Leptogenys kitteli
(Mayr, 1870)

Leptogenys kitteli casent0217530 p 1 high.jpg

Leptogenys kitteli casent0217530 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Subspecies
Synonyms

Chiu et al. (2011) report that Leptogenys kitteli is commonly observed but little studied and hunts in groups in broadleaf and coniferous forests in lowland and hilly areas of Taiwan. These ants live in soil or litter and move their nests frequently. Hamer et al. (2024) note that it is known to forage in large groups of workers, preying upon termites, as well as earthworms (Fellowes 1996). Similar to L. diminuta, colonies are known to move nesting locations and include up to several hundred individuals.

Identification

A member of the Leptogenys diminuta species group.

Hamer et al. (2024) - Leptogenys kitteli is most morphologically similar to Leptogenys diminuta within Hong Kong. Both species can be differentiated by the distinctly larger absolute size of L. kitteli, as well as the longitudinally striate pronotum, and absence of a longitudinal carinae on the clypeal dorsum.

  • Hamer et al. (2024), Figure 7. Clypeus differences between Leptogenys laeviterga and L. kitteli. A, L. laeviterga (ANTWEB1010142). B, L. kitteli (RHL02795).
  • Hamer et al. (2024), Figure 8. Diverging mesosomal sculpture between L. diminuta and L. kitteli. A, L. diminuta (ANTWEB1010183). B, L. kitteli (PFL1T2W5-1).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Leptogenys kitteli is a widely distributed across the Indomalayan region, known from mainland China (Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian Zhejiang, Guangdong, Hubei, and Hong Kong SAR), Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal (Xu and He 2015; Bharti et al. 2016; Janicki et al. 2016; Guénard et al. 2017; Khachonpisitsak et al. 2020). This species should be expected from Laos and Cambodia. (Hamer et al., 2024)

  • Hamer et al. (2024), Figure 20. Distribution maps of Leptogenys species recorded from Hong Kong. A, L. binghamii. B, L. diminuta. C, L. grohli. D, L. kitteli. The base map displayed shows tree canopy cover with the darker green areas indicating greater tree cover.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 29.383333° to 18.98333°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia.
Oriental Region: Bangladesh, India (type locality), Myanmar (type locality), Thailand, Vietnam.
Palaearctic Region: China (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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

Behavior

From the abstract of Chiu, Mankin and Lin 2011: "Individual Leptogenys kitteli (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) workers produce stridulatory pulses at faster rates after exposure to prey larvae placed nearby the nest and after air-puff disturbances at the nest entrance than during unstimulated social interactions within the nest. Workers produce chirps (trains of stridulatory pulses) at faster rates after exposure to prey larvae than during unstimulated social interactions, including groups of chirps (bursts) where the intervals between chirps decrease below 60 ms. Such bursts do not occur in unstimulated social interactions. Chirp bursts with intervals <10 ms (disturbance bursts) occur immediately after air puffs at the nest entrance. Disturbance bursts are not observed after exposure to prey larvae or during unstimulated social interactions. The rates of disturbance bursts decline rapidly within 10 s after an air puff, whereas episodes of chirp bursts extend over periods of 30 s or longer when groups of ants are moving prey larvae into the nest. The differences in the rates of stridulatory pulses and chirps and in the durations of stridulatory activity observed in the context of different types, intensities, and durations of stimulation contribute to evidence that stridulation has a significant communicatory role in colony activities of many ant species, even in genera, such as Leptogenys, in which a stridulatory organ has not been retained in every species. "

Association with Other Organisms

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
  • This species is a associate (details unknown) for the phorid fly Rhynchomicropteron nudiventer (a associate (details unknown)) (Quevillon, 2018).

Castes

  • Liu, C. et al. 2020. Ants of the Hengduan Mountains, Figure 123, Leptogenys kitteli.
  • Hamer et al. (2024), Figure 14. Leptogenys kitteli (PFL1T2W3-1). A, lateral view. B, dorsal view. C, head in full face view.

Nomenclature

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

  • kitteli. Lobopelta kitteli Mayr, 1870b: 966 (w.) INDIA.
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: India: Himalaya, Sikkim (Kittel).
    • Type-depository: NHMW.
    • Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1976a: 52 (l.).
    • Combination in Leptogenys: Emery, 1895k: 461.
    • Status as species: Mayr, 1879: 665 (in key); Forel, 1885b: 177; Emery, 1889b: 498; Dalla Torre, 1893: 45; Emery, 1895k: 461; Forel, 1900d: 312; Rothney, 1903: 97; Bingham, 1903: 60; Forel, 1906b: 91; Forel, 1907e: 17; Emery, 1911d: 104; Forel, 1912a: 47; Forel, 1913e: 662; Forel, 1913f: 187; Santschi, 1920h: 159; Santschi, 1924c: 97; Karavaiev, 1925c: 279; Wheeler, W.M. 1927b: 42; Wheeler, W.M. 1929g: 59; Wheeler, W.M. 1930a: 95; Santschi, 1937h: 366; Menozzi, 1939a: 329; Teranishi, 1940: 56; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 36; Wang, M. 1992: 678; Wu, J. & Wang, 1992: 1302; Radchenko, 1993a: 78; Bolton, 1995b: 232; Wu, J. & Wang, 1995: 41; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 37; Xu, 1996b: 224; Xu, 2000a: 119 (in key); Mathew & Tiwari, 2000: 279; Zhou, 2001b: 42; Zhang, W. & Zheng, 2002: 218; Lin & Wu, 2003: 67; Jaitrong & Nabhitabhata, 2005: 25; Zhou, 2006: 580; Terayama, 2009: 115; Bakhtiar & Chiang, 2011: 47 (in key); Pfeiffer, et al. 2011: 56; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 59; Zhou, Chen, et al. 2012: 888 (in key); Bharti & Wachkoo, 2013c: 17 (in key); Xu & He, 2015: 156 (in key); Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 52; Arimoto & Yamane, 2018: 28 (in key).
    • Senior synonym of altisquamis: Xu & He, 2015: 142.
    • Senior synonym of minor: Xu & He, 2015: 142.
    • Senior synonym of siemsseni: Xu & He, 2015: 142.
    • Distribution: China, India, Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.
    • Current subspecies: nominal plus laevis, transiens.
  • altisquamis. Leptogenys (Lobopelta) kitteli r. altisquamis Forel, 1900d: 306 (diagnosis in key) (w.) MYANMAR.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Myanmar (“Burma”): Thaungyin Valley (C.T. Bingham).
    • Type-depository: MHNG (probably also in OXUM).
    • Combination in Lobopelta: Bingham, 1903: 61;
    • combination in Leptogenys: Emery, 1911d: 104.
    • Status as species: Bingham, 1903: 61.
    • Subspecies of kitteli: Emery, 1911d: 104; Wheeler, W.M. 1921c: 530; Wheeler, W.M. 1927d: 2; Wheeler, W.M. 1927h: 84; Wheeler, W.M. 1930h: 60; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 36; **Bolton, 1995b: 229; Zhou & Ran, 2010: 105; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 59.
    • Junior synonym of kitteli: Xu & He, 2015: 142.
  • minor. Leptogenys (Lobopelta) kitteli var. minor Forel, 1900d: 307 (diagnosis in key) (w.) INDIA (West Bengal).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: India: Calcutta (Rothney).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Subspecies of kitteli: Emery, 1911d: 104; Forel, 1911e: 252; Santschi, 1920h: 159; Santschi, 1924c: 97; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 36; Bolton, 1995b: 232; Bharti & Wachkoo, 2013c: 17 (in key); Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 52 (error).
    • Junior synonym of kitteli: Xu & He, 2015: 142.
  • siemsseni. Leptogenys (Lobopelta) kitteli subsp. siemsseni Viehmeyer, 1922: 203, fig. 1 (w.) CHINA (Fujian).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: China: Fo-Kien (= Fujian) Prov. (G. Siemssen).
    • Type-depository: ZMUH (possibly also in MNHU).
    • Subspecies of kitteli: Wheeler, W.M. 1930h: 61; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 36; Bolton, 1995b: 233; Zhou & Ran, 2010: 105; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 59.
    • Junior synonym of kitteli: Xu & He, 2015: 142.

Description

Forel 1900f. Page 306.
Forel 1900f. Page 307.

References

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