Neivamyrmex leonardi

This species is primarily subterranean and raids nests of Pheidole obtusospinosa. Snelling and Snelling (2007) - This is a poorly known species. The synonymous form N. peninsulare was described from a few workers taken under a stone. Watkins (1971) also reported finding it under a stone in Texas and “...observed a few workers...in a weak nocturnal raiding column of N. opacithorax...” Our specimens from 9-mile Canyon were found in soft sand at a depth of about 45 cm. This was in Sagebrush Desert with some intermixed Larrea. This ant has also been collected from Creosote Bush Scrub-Joshua Tree Woodland. In the chaparral biome of Deep Canyon, Wheeler and Wheeler (1973) found a nest under a slightly buried stone. Mann (1925) described the staphylinid beetle Pulicomorpha coecum from specimens collected with a colony of N. leonardi (as Eciton peninsularis Mann) in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Identification
Key to the Neivamyrmex species of the United States

Distribution
United States: Oklahoma and Texas, west to California and Nevada; Mexico, Baja California Sur and Tamaulipas south to Guerrero.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Castes
The queen and male forms are unknown; however based on range data we surmise that Neivamyrmex minor is probably the male form of N. leonardi. (Snelling and Snelling 2007)

Nomenclature

 *  leonardi. Eciton (Acamatus) leonardi Wheeler, W.M. 1915b: 392 (w.) U.S.A. Combination in E. (Neivamyrmex): Smith, M.R. 1942c: 570; in Neivamyrmex: Borgmeier, 1953: 10. Senior synonym of peninsulare: Borgmeier, 1955: 431. See also: Snelling, G.C. & Snelling, R.R., 2007: 477.
 * peninsulare. Eciton (Acamatus) peninsulare Mann, 1926: 98 (w.) MEXICO. Combination in Neivamyrmex: Borgmeier, 1953: 10. Junior synonym of leonardi: Borgmeier, 1955: 431.