Leptanilla ortunoi

The type material was collected from a soil sample.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Morocco.

Nomenclature

 *  ortunoi. Leptanilla ortunoi López, Martínez, & Barandica, 1994: 197, figs. 9, 11 (w.) SPAIN (Melilla).

Worker
CL = 0.30; CW = 0.23; SL =0.12; PL = 0.12; PW = 0.12; PPL = 0.11; PPW = 0.14; TL = 1.62; CI = 79.17; SI = 190.00; PI = 100.00; PPI = 122.22; PPPI = 90.91 (N = 1).

Colour yellow orange-coloured. Legs paler. Margins of head, alitrunk, petiole, and postpetiole brownish in dorsal and lateral view. Integument striated (much more clearly than in Leptanilla zaballosi and Leptanilla charonea) in the anterior margins of pronotum and mesonotum, and ventrally in the alitrunk and petiolar node. Pilosity as in Leptanilla plutonia, but more scarce.

Head flattened above, wider than alitrunk; shape as in L. plutonia. Occiput straight. Tentorium with general morphology as in L. zaballosi, but bigger and with shorter and more parallel anterior arms. Tooth-like protuberances more protuding and internal plates shorter and more roundish than in L. plutonia. One small dark red spot inside the head on the right anterior margin. Clypeus straight, neither notched, nor protuding. Mandibles slightly more stout than in the other three species, with 4 teeth: a long apical tooth, 2 large grouped sharp-pointed basal teeth, and a small median tooth placed on the margin of the mandibles besides the basal teeth. Internal side of mandibles with 4 long setae. Antennae with 12 segments; their general morphology as in L. plutonia, although both antennae lack several terminal segments.

Alitrunk elongated, but clearly shorter and narrower than the gaster. Prothorax subovoidal, shorter than in L. plutonia, separated by a deep promesonotal furrow from the rest of the alitrunk. Prosternum and katepisternum only slightly protruded (less than in L. plutonia). In lateral view, upper margin of pronotum almost straight. Mesepinotum also subovoidal, but clearly longer than wide with sinuous sides and more stout than in the other 3 species; its dorsal margin is straight in lateral view, without depression between the mesonotum and the propodeum. Hind dorsal margin of propodeum forming an angle just above the propodeal spiracle. Legs stout, with fore tibiae and all femora less swollen than in L. zaballosi and L. charonea, but more than in L. plutonia. Basitarsus of fore legs without projection on its ventral anterior margin. Tibial spurs as in L. zaballosi.

In dorsal view, both petiolar and postpetiolar nodes quadrangular, clearly more stout than in the other 3 species (almost as wide as the propodeum), with their anterior margin feebly emarginated; only the postpetiolar node is feebly wider posteriorly. In lateral view, both nodes dorsally and ventrally convex, although the dorsal margin of the petiolar node is almost straight. Petiolar spiracles clearly visible and comparatively bigger than in the other three species. Dorsal anterior margin of the petiolar node angled, not directed downwards, ventrally with a very small serrated keel constituted by a group of minute teeth. Postpetiolar node feebly emarginated in its anterior margin (clearly different from the other three species). without any projection in its ventral margin.

Gaster ovoidal, more slender than in L. plutonia; anterior margin clearly emarginated (more strongly than in the other three species). First gaster tergite longer than the others. Sting long, not protruding, with the bulb clearly wider than the shaft.

Type Material
Holotype.Worker from Mirador de Garcia-Aldave, Ceuta, Spain, UTM 30STE87, altitude Om, 24-I -1989, V. Ortuflo leg. Collected from a moist soil sample with Asphodellus roots. Preserved in the Catedra de Entomologia collection, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Etymology
This species is dedicated to Vicente M. Ortuno, who collected it, along with other Leptanilla samples, and encouraged us in our work.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Scupola A., and R. Ballarin. 2009. The genus Leptanilla Emery, 1870 in Sicily (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecologische Nachrichten 12: 129-132.