Leptogenys maxillosa

Leptogenys maxillosa is widely distributed at lower elevations between 7 m and 90 m in the dry forest habitats of Comoros Island and Reunion, in mixed forest sites in Seychelles, and in littoral forest areas in the north of Madagascar. Specimens of this species also inhabit environments modified by human activities such as houses and urban gardens. These findings imply that L. maxillosa may have been introduced to the Malagasy region, although its first description was based on worker specimens from Mauritius. This species forages on the forest floor and on low vegetation, and its colonies can be found in rotten logs, rotting tree stumps, rotten pockets, and under the bark of live trees. (Rakotonirina and Fisher 2014)

Identification
A member of the maxillosa species group. Lattke (2011) - Body mostly opaque, with rough pruinosity; hypostomal teeth visible in cephalic full-face view, anterior clypeal margin forms obtuse angle medially bordered by narrow translucent lamella, not differentiated into median clypeal lobe and lateral lobes; clypeal apex with 2 setae; posterior protibial apex with single seta; subpetiolar process shaped as triangular lobe with long posterior slope.

Rakotonirina and Fisher (2014) - Worker. Mandible not closing tightly against clypeus; dorsum of body without standing hairs, but covered with dense pubescence; sculptures shagreenate; anteromedian lobe of clypeus covered with narrowly angulate translucent lamella; two peg-like setae projecting anteriorly from anterior margin of median lobe; in dorsal view, petiolar node broader than long.

Leptogenys maxillosa can be separated from Leptogenys falcigera by the shape of its petiolar node, which is wider than long. In L. maxillosa, the anteromedian lobe of the clypeus is fringed by a narrow and obtusely angulate translucent lamella, while in Leptogenys pavesii, this fringing lamella is wide and broadly rounded.

Distribution
This is a tramp species of African origin with Neotropical locality records in Cuba and Brazil (Bolton 1975), but given increased globalisation this species could be present in other sites especially close to major ports. Known from southeastern Brazil, Cuba, Philippines, Lesser Antilles, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Comoros, Seychelles, Réunion, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Barbados.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Zimbabwe. Indo-Australian Region: Philippines. Malagasy Region: Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles. Neotropical Region: Barbados, Brazil, Cuba, Lesser Antilles. Palaearctic Region: Oman.

Biology
Specimens from São Paulo, Brazil were taken in urban areas, with some nesting in cracks and fissures of walls in preformed cavities (Freitas 1995). The species referred to as Leptogenys propefalcigera by Freitas (1995) is probably L. maxillosa since specimens studied in the coincide with the collection data cited in the publication. The studies by Freitas (1995) point to specialised depredation on sowbugs, and a high frequency of nest relocation, with one colony relocating 17 times within 50 days. (Lattke 2011)

Nomenclature

 *  maxillosa. Ponera maxillosa Smith, F. 1858b: 93 (w.m.) MAURITIUS. Combination in Leptogenys: Roger, 1861a: 43. Senior synonym of falcata: Forel, 1901h: 46; Bolton, 1975a: 254; of cribrata, vinsonnella: Bolton, 1975a: 254. See also: Lattke, 2011: 188.
 * falcata. Leptogenys falcata Roger, 1861a: 42 (w.) CUBA. Roger, 1862a: 244 (m.). Junior synonym of maxillosa: Forel, 1901h: 46. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of maxillosa: Emery, 1911d: 99; Wheeler, W.M. 1913b: 482. Junior synonym of maxillosa: Bolton, 1975a: 254.
 * vinsonnella. Formica vinsonnella Dufour, 1864: 210 (w.) REUNION I. Combination in Leptogenys: Emery, 1894a: 68. Subspecies of maxillosa: Emery, 1894a: 68; Forel, 1895a: 49. Junior synonym of maxillosa: Bolton, 1975a: 254.
 * cribrata. Leptogenys cribrata Emery, 1895h: 20 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Junior synonym of maxillosa: Bolton, 1975a: 254.

Type Material


Ponera maxillosa

Four worker syntypes and two male syntypes in. Labelled “Mauritius. 57/140.” Acc. Reg.: “1857 no. 140. Mauritius. Purchased of Dr Beke.”

Lattke (2011) - The sculpturing of this species, lack of standing hairs and elongate mandibles bears resemblance to similar traits in the wheeleri group. Please refer to the discussion for the maxillosa group for characters that will separate the two species groups. The L. falcata syntypes consist of two workers and a male from the Humboldt Universität collection that bear a green Cuba label, Diehl; Type. One worker is in excellent condition, the other is missing the gaster posterad of the third abdominal segment and an antenna. All specimens are point-mounted.

Worker
Lattke (2011) - Metrics (n = 3) : HL 1.32 – 1.49; HW 1.34 – 1.54; ML 1.09 – 1.27; EL 0.30 – 0.33; SL 1.32 – 1.42; PW 0.89 – 0.99; WL 2.18 – 2.53; PH 0.89 – 0.96; PL 0.61 – 0.76; DPW 0.68–0.68 mm. CI 0.97–1.03; MI 0.80–0.82; OI 0.20 – 0.24; SI 0.92 – 0.99; LPI 1.27 – 1.46; DPI 0.90 – 1.13.

Head subquadrate in full-face view, widest just before eye or at eye level; lateral cephalic margin convex; posterior margin broadly convex; eyes large and flattened, length covers a fourth of lateral cephalic margin. Head with opaque pruinosity, clypeus rugulose, not opaque. Scape surpasses posterior cephalic margin by at least 2 apical widths, lacking standing hairs but with fine appressed pubescence; second funicular segment more than 2 × longer than wide, third about 2 × longer than wide and first about 1.5 × longer than wide. Anterior clypeal margin convex, forming blunt obtuse angle, bordered by narrow, translucent lamella; long hairs present along clypeal anterior margin, two median long hairs and two median setae present in front of lamella. Mandible arched, especially basad; parallel-sided and elongate, mostly smooth and shining, basally with rugulose opaque sculpturing that narrows and extends along mandible external margin; masticatory margin brief and edentate. Hypostomal teeth partially visible in cephalic full-face view.

Mesosoma in lateral view mostly continuously convex, metanotal groove broad and weakly impressed; mesosomal sculpting as in head; meso-metapleural suture well impressed; metapleural propodeal suture mostly effaced, best marked close to propodeal spiracle; spiracle elongate and slit shaped, slightly arched. In lateral view declivitous margin straight to slightly curved, separated from dorsal margin by blunt angle. Propodeum without teeth, at most with low angular lobe. No standing hairs.

Petiole in lateral view tilted anterad with semi-parallel anterior and posterior margins and a broadly curved dorsal margin; higher than long; process subquadrate with anterior and and posterior angles, with long posterior margin. Petiole shorter than long in dorsal view. Gastric sculpture more shining than mesosoma, not with rough pruinosity; fine reticule with shallow punctae with rounded edges, separated from each other by a length approximately equal to their width. Procoxa shining in lateral view. Body lacking standing pilosity except for clypeus, ventral parts of body, apex of gaster. Color grey to grey brown for body, antennae; mandibles, clypeus, legs brown. Head grey to grey brown in color.

Type Material
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2014) - Lectotype worker, present designation, Mauritius (Dr. Beke), AntWeb specimen code: CASENT0102266. Paralectotype male, with same data as lectotype but with specimen code: CASENT0102267 (BMNH) [examined].

Lattke (2011) - The L. falcata syntypes consist of two workers and a male from the Humboldt Universität collection that bear a green Cuba label, Diehl; Type. One worker is in excellent condition, the other is missing the gaster posterad of the third abdominal segment and an antenna. All specimens are point-mounted.

Leptogenys falcata. Syntype workers: Cuba (Diehl) [examined].

Formica vinsonnella. Holotype? worker: Réunion, sugar cane plantation (Vinson) [not examined].

Leptogenys cribrata. Syntype workers: South Africa, Vrijburg (E. Simon) [not examined].