Leptanilla lamellata

The only known specimens of this species were collected from a Kotla village in the Shivalik Range of the north-western Himalaya. This area has patchy forest with a semi-arid type of environment. The specimens were collected from soil in a depth of 2–3 cm. The soil was porous and covered with a thin layer of leaf litter.

Identification
Bharti & Kumar (2012) - In a few specimens the lamella of the subpetiolar process is narrow and neither very prominent nor wide. Leptanilla lamellata is a very uncommon species. It is close to Leptanilla escheri, but can be separated from the latter by the following combination of attributes: in L. lamellata posterior head margin concave; sides of pronotum weakly convex in dorsal view, petiole with an anteroventral lamellate subpetiolar process, ventral face of lamellate process weakly rounded; subpetiolar process with anteroventral and posteroventral corner obtusely angled, posterior face of subpetiolar process weakly concave; petiolar and postpetiolar spiracle almost equal in diameter, PPTI 73.68–76.47, however, in L. escheri posterior head margin weakly concave or almost straight; sides of pronotum strongly convex in dorsal view; petiole with a weak subpetiolar process without lamella; petiolar process convex and anteriorly and posteriorly oblique; petiolar spiracle large and almost 2 times the size of the postpetiolar spiracle, PPTI 84.62–85.71.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 *  lamellata. Leptanilla lamellata Bharti & Kumar, 2012: 620, figs. 1-4 (w.) INDIA.

Worker
Measurements. Holotype (worker). HL 0.38, HW 0.30, SL 0.19, ML 0.09, MSL 0.48, PW 0.21, PTL 0.13, PTNL 0.10, PPTL 0.14, PPTNL 0.12, PTW 0.11, PPTW 0.14, PTH 0.14, PPTH 0.19, CI 78.95, DPPTI 100, PI 110, PPTI 73.68, SI 63.33.

Paratypes (worker). HL 0.37–0.38, HW 0.28–0.30, SL 0.18–0.19, ML 0.06–0.09, MSL 0.46–0.48, PW 0.20–0.21, PTL 0.12–0.14, PTNL 0.10, PPTL 0.13–0.14, PPTNL 0.12, PTW 0.11, PPTW 0.13–0.14, PTH 0.13–0.14, PPTH 0.17–0.19, CI 75.68–78.95, DPPTI 100, PI 110, PPTI 73.68–76.47, SI 60.00–67.86 (9 specimens measured).

Head longer than wide, dorsum flattened, sides convex; posterior head margin concave; posterolateral corners bluntly prominent; head without spots near its anterior margin; mandibles narrow, slender and bowed inwardly, masticatory margin with 3 teeth, all teeth present at equal distances, apical tooth large, acute, median and basal teeth smaller and acute; clypeus protruding forward, anterior margin concave, apically bilobed; eyes absent; antennae short, 12-segmented, scape ending by ¾ of its length and ½ of head length before posterior head margin; 1st funicular segment longer than wide; 2nd funicular segment longer than wide, thin at its base and narrowly attached to 1st funicular segment; funicular segments 3–6 wider than long; funicular segments 9–10 thick, quadrate and as wide as long; apical segment longer and equal in length to the two preceeding segments together; mesosoma elongated, its dorsum flat in lateral view, distinctly shorter and narrower than the gaster; pronotum slightly raised, almost as wide as long, and its sides weakly convex in dorsal view; promesonotal suture wide and shallow; mesonotum wider than long and laterally constricted in dorsal view; metanotal groove absent; dorsum of propodeum longer than its declivitous face, posterodorsal corners rounded; declivitous face convex; fore tibiae and all femora swollen; basitarsus of fore legs without a projection on its ventral anterior margin; mid and hind tibiae with a simple spur; petiolar node almost as wide as long, in dorsal view longitudinally and transversally weakly convex with rounded lateral sides, anterior face vertical; petiole with an anteroventral lamellate subpetiolar process; ventral face of lamellate process weakly rounded, anteroventral and posteroventral corner obtusely angled; posterior face of subpetiolar process weakly concave; postpetiolar node longer and wider than petiolar node, in lateral view anterior face lower and convex, dorsum weakly convex, rounded anteriorly and laterally; subpostpetiolar process large, wide, convex ventrally, anterior and posterior faces vertical and parallel; petiolar and postpetiolar spiracles almost equal in diameter; gaster elongate oval, sting long, protruding, with the bulb slightly wide than the shaft.

Body smooth and shiny with fine punctures on head and dorsum of mesosoma; internal side of mandibles with 2–4 setae; body covered with abundant decumbent to appressed pubescence and short suberect hairs along with a few long suberect hairs on mandibles, clypeus and apex of the gaster; color brownish yellow.

Etymology
The specific epithet refers to the ventral lamellate process of the petiole.