Leptomyrmex burwelli

Leptomyrmex burwelli is restricted to rainforest where it is known to nest under rocks or less commonly in rotten wood. It forages on the ground as well as on vegetation. This species has so far only been found in the south-eastern corner of Queensland with one record just over the border in NSW.

Identification
Scapes long (SI > 170); pubescence of short, sparse adpressed hairs; dorsum of petiolar node strongly convex in anterior view; anterior mesonotum with a strongly raised bump. It can readily be separated from the sympatric Leptomyrmex aitchisoni by the distinctively humped anterior mesonotum. (Smith and Shattuck 2009)

Identification Keys including this Taxon

 * Key to Australian Leptomyrmex Species

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  burwelli. Leptomyrmex burwelli Smith, D.J. & Shattuck, 2009: 60, figs. 4-6, 19-21 (w.q.m.) AUSTRALIA.

Worker
In full face view vertex of head weakly convex, rounding into sides of head, sides of head weakly rounded, widest at mid-length, eyes placed at mid-length of head capsule. Palps long extending about ¾ the length of the head capsule. Pronotum even with promesonotal suture, posterior margin of pronotum not rounding sharply to the suture; anterior portion of the mesonotum raised above the promesonotal suture then rounding sharply into descending plane of remainder of mesonotum producing a distinctive strongly raised anterior mesonotal “bump”. Legs long; hind tibial spurs with reduced barbules, barbules absent from basal one-quarter.

(n = 117 ) - CI 69–79; EL 0.20–0.25; HL 0.79–0.97; HW 0.60–0.70; MTL 0.71–0.96; SI 171–200; SL 1.10–1.29; WL 1.2–1.4.

Queen
(n = 1) - CI 91; EL 0.38; HL 0.94; HW 1.03; HL 1.13; MTL 1.075; SI 139; SL 1.43; WL 1.95. Male (n = 3) -CI 74–76; EL 0.33–0.36; HL 0.60–0.67; HW 0.53–0.65; MTL 0.75–0.81; SI* 10; SL 0.23–0.25; WL 1.23–1.32.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Burwell C.J., and A. Nakamura. 2011. Distribution of ant speces along an altitudinal transect in continuous rainforest in subtropical Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum -Nature 55(2): 391-411.
 * Smith D. J., and S. Shattuck. 2009. Six new, unusually small ants of the genus Leptomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 2142: 57-68.