.jpg){kind=logo}
Leptogenys rufida
| Leptogenys rufida | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Ponerinae |
| Tribe: | Ponerini |
| Genus: | Leptogenys |
| Species: | L. rufida |
| Binomial name | |
| Leptogenys rufida Zhou, Chen, Chen, Zhou, Ban & Huang, 2012 | |
Records for Leptogenys rufida in Hong Kong are sparse, but when collected it has occurred predominantly within pitfall traps, leaf litter samples and hand collection events (predominantly within leaf litter or soil) from secondary forest habitats. Two colony collections are known from Hong Kong. One colony was located within a half-soil filled metallic pipe buried within leaf litter, consisting of ~ 20 workers and one ergatoid queen, but was not collected. A second nest was located beneath a small rock, with the colony located ~ 4–5 cm below the upper soil layer (MTH403). The colony consisted of one male, one ergatoid, and nine workers. In addition, the latter colony was retained for dietary assessment with workers responding and feeding upon isopods and termites. Foraging workers in the latter colony’s collection locality were observed moving within leaf litter, with one worker returning with an isopod held ventrally between the legs. (Hamer et al., 2024)
| At a Glance | • Ergatoid queen |
Identification
Zhou et al. (2012) - This new species is close to Leptogenys confucii but with dorsum of head in front of the eyes finely punctuate, anterior margin of clypeus rounded, with a pair of denticles in the middle; body brownish red.
Hamer et al. (2024) - Leptogenys rufida is the smallest Leptogenys known from Hong Kong (WL 1.38–1.48) and is further recognisable by the following combined morphological characters; subquadrate petiole with a broadly rounded anterodorsal corner, rugose meso- and metapleural, head dorsum punctate, with relatively small eyes (EL 0.16–0.18). This species could be mistaken for Leptogenys grohli due to the ribbing across the notopropodeal sulcus, punctate head dorsum and small eyes, but L. rufida is smaller, with a more sculptured meso- and metapleural, and flagellomere segment I is as long as flagellomere segment II, shorter clypeal median lobe length (CML 0.19–0.21), and a petiole that is as high as long in lateral view (LPI 82.61–114.29), and as wide as long in dorsal view (DPI 76.76–90.83).
Across the Indochinese Leptogenys fauna, L. rufida is most similar to members of the L. zhuangzii species group (Leptogenys mengzii, Leptogenys laozii and Leptogenys zhuangzii), and can be differentiated by the following combined characters; petiole in lateral view as long as high, anterodorsal margin distinctly convex, sculptured meso- and metapleural, and red colour. Leptogenys rufida and L. confucii can be differentiated by the triangular shaped petiole of L. confucii, the smaller eyes in L. rufida and the densely sculptured meso- and metapleural of L. confucii.
,_Fig._2.jpg)
,_Fig._3.jpg)
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Hamer et al. (2024) - Leptogenys rufida is known from China only, including the Chinese provinces of Guangxi, Yunnan, Zhejiang and now Hong Kong SAR (Zhou et al. 2012; Xu and He 2015). To our knowledge, this species is not reported from other southern Chinese provinces but considering the gap in records between Yunnan, Guangxi and Zhejiang, it seems likely to be found in Guangdong and Fujian.
,_Fig._21.jpg)
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
,_Fig._18.jpg)
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- rufida. Leptogenys rufida Zhou, Chen, et al. 2012: 891, figs. 4-6 (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 5.6, HL 1.12, HWO.7 5, CI 67, SL 1.12, SI 149, PW 0.70, AL 1.80, ED 0.20, ML 0.55, PL 0.65, PH 0.60, DPW 0.42, LPI 92, DPI 64. Head roughly rectangular, distinctly longer than broad. Occipital margin straight, occipital carina distinct. Occipital corners rounded. Lateral sides of head almost straight. Mandibles slender, inner margin without tooth, masticatory margin with only 1 apical tooth, basal corner rounded. Clypeus with sharp longitudinal central carina, anterior margin rounded, with a pair of denticles in the middle. Scape of antenna surpassed occipital corner by about 1/4 of its length. Segments of flagellum longer than broad, the 2nd and 3rd joints about equal. In profile view dorsum of pronotum feebly convex, mesonotum a little lower than pronotum, promesonotal suture distinct; metanotal groove depressed but not deep. Dorsum of propodeum slightly convex, about 3 times as long as declivity, declivity weakly convex. In profile view petiolar node trapezoid, declined forward to the anterior face, posterodorsal angle bluntly extruding, dorsal face evenly convex, posterior face straight. In dorsal view the node longer than broad, narrowed forward. Subpetiolar process small, nearly square, posteroventral corner acute. Constriction between the two basal gastral segments distinct. Mandibles smooth and shining, clypeus longitudinally striate. Scapes of antennae densely punctuate. Dorsum of head in front of the eyes densely punctuate, occipital border and occipital corners smooth. Dorsum of alitrunk, petiole and gaster smooth and shining. Mesopleura and lateral sides of propodeum irregularly rugose. Dorsum of head and body with abundant long erect hairs, short suberect hairs and decumbent pubescence. Scapes and tibiae with abundant subdecumbent hairs and dense pubescence. Head, alitrunk, petiole and gaster brownish red. Apex of antennae, legs and apex of gaster paler, yellowish red.
Paratype. TL 6.4, HL 1.25, HW 0.80, CI 64, SL 1.25, SI 156, PW AL 2.0, ED 0.25, ML 0.57, PL 0.70, PH 0.60, DPW 0.47, LPI 85, 67.
Type Material
Holotype worker, Darning Mountain National Nature Reserve, N23.49, E 108.43, 1230m, May 29.2011. Yuan Chen; Paratype: 1 worker, Tianmu Mountain Nature Reserve, Zhejiang Province of China. August 2.2011, Zhilin Chen.
Etymology
This species is named after its red color.
References
- Chen, C., Chen, Z., Xu, Z., Fu, Q., Fu, L. 2024. Two new ant species of the genus Leptogenys (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Hainan, China, with a key to the known Chinese species. ZooKeys, 1195, 199–217 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1195.115889).
- Hamer, M.T., Lee, J.H.C., Tse, C.Y.L., Silva, T.S.R., Guénard, B. 2024. The Leptogenys Roger, 1861 (Formicidae, Ponerinae) of Hong Kong SAR with additional records from Guangdong, China. ZooKeys 1202, 169–211 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1202.120214).
- Zhou, S., Chen, Y., Chen, Z., Zhou, P., Ban, D. and Huang, M. 2012. Two new species of the genus Leptogenys from Guangxi, China. Sociobiology. 59:885-892.
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Cheng D., Z. Chen, and S. Zhou. 2015. An analysis on the ant fauna of Jinzhongshan Nature Reserve in Gunagxi, China. Journal of Guangxi Normal University: Natural Science Edition 33(3): 129.137.
- Zhou S., Y. Chen, Z. Chen, P. Zhou, D. Ban, and M. Huang. 2012. Two new species of the genus Leptogenys from Guangxi, China (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 59: 885-892.