Leptothorax goesswaldi

Distribution
This taxon was described from Switzerland. It has been found also in SE-France (French Alps), in S-Sweden, and in East Kazakhstan.

Biology
Leptothorax goesswaldi is a workerless social parasite of Leptothorax acervorum. The parasite queen cuts off the antennae of the host colony queen(s) (L. acervorum is usually polygynous) and replaces them. Only gynes and males are reared from the parasite brood. L. goesswaldi thus is a queen-intolerant inquiline species.

Nomenclature

 *  goesswaldi. Leptothorax goesswaldi Kutter, 1967b: 82, figs. 3-8, 10 (q.) GERMANY. Kutter, 1977c: 129 (m.). Combination in Doronomyrmex: Buschinger, 1981: 215; in Leptothorax: Heinze, 1998: 195 (combination not stated); Bolton, 2003: 270.

Additional References
http://myrmecologicalnews.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=84:myrmecologische-nachrichten-9-33-34&Itemid=61&layout=default
 * Buschinger, A. 1974: Zur Biologie der sozialparasitischen Ameise Leptothorax goesswaldi KUTTER (Hym., Formicidae). Ins. Soc. 21, 133-144.
 * Buschinger, A., Klump, B. 1988: Novel strategy of host-colony exploitation in a permanently parasitic ant, Doronomyrmex goesswaldi. - Naturwissenschaften 75, 577-578.
 * Douwes, Per, Abenius, J., Cederberg, B., Wahlstedt, U. (2012): Steklar: Myror - getingar | Hymenoptera: Formicidae – Vespidae. (Record of L. goesswaldi in S-Sweden)
 * Schultz, R., Buschinger, A. (2006): First Asian record of the parasitic ant, Leptothorax goesswaldi KUTTER, 1967 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). - Myrmecologische Nachrichten 9, 33-34.

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