Leptogenys elzasoares

The workers and male of this species were collected walking on a trail in a small open area surrounded by primary Amazon Forest. Presumably these ants were either migrating at the time, or perhaps fleeing from an army ant raid. A phoretic deutonymph mite of the family Acaridae is adhered on the left maxillae of one worker (UFV-LABECOL-010408).

Identification
Head weakly rugulose in full-face view. Mandible mostly straight in full-face view, weakly widening apicad. Median clypeal lobe with 12 chaetae (= stout setae). Eye large, occupying one-third lateral cephalic margin. Hypostomal tooth not as long as mandibular width. Mesonotum wider than long. Propodeal dorsum transversely striate. Petiolar node with an acutely pointed posterior spine. Head, mesosoma and petiole black, antenna, legs and gaster brightly ferruginous.

In the workers, the clypeal median lobe with 12 chaetae (= stout setae), relatively straightened mandible, and brightly ferruginous gaster are very distinct hallmarks for this species. This species will key without difficulties to couplet 5 in Lattke (2011), whereupon the reader may use the modification to that key provided below. Leptogenys elzasoares is very similar in appearance to Leptogenys bohlsi, including the long and slender mandible but differs in the more straightened mandibles, slightly longer scape, and longer petiolar tooth. But the most distinctive characteristic is the clypeal median lobe with 12 chaetae in L. elzasoares, but in L. bohlsi usually only 3–4 chaetae are present. Although the workers of these two species are similar, the males can be distinguished by the enlarged compound eye in L. elzasoares male, with the distance between them slightly more than one eye length in full-face view, while it is relatively small in L. bohlsi males. The male of L. elzasoares resembles Leptogenys unistimulosa (Lattke, 2011) due to the large and bulging eyes, but can be easily differentiated by the petiole. The L. elzasoares male has the petiolar summit truncate, while in L. unistimulosa the petiole summit is rounded to subtriangular. Another aspect to take into account is the shorter scape length in L. elzasoares (0.36 mm) than in L. unistimulosa (0.50–0.60mm). Differing colors may also help to separate these males: in L. elzasoares the body is mostly dark and the gaster is black to brownish posteriorly, while in L. unistimulosa the body is usually bicolored, the head and mesosoma mostly black to brown and the gaster ferruginous brown.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil.

Nomenclature

 * . Leptogenys elzasoares Tozetto, Chaul, Boudinot & Lattke, 2022: 7, figs. 4, 5, 6, 11B (w.m.) BRAZIL (Amazonas).

Type Material

 * Holotype: Brazil. Amazonas: Manaus, Colosso camp, 12-21.VIII.2016, Boudinot, B; Fernandes, I.; Chaul, J. Camp at -2.403723, -59.865735, 1 worker INPA - HYM 034449, [INPA].
 * Paratypes: same data as holotype, except 1 callow worker UFV-LABECOL-009566, [CELC]; 1 worker UFV-LABECOL-010408; and 1 male UFV-LABECOL-011120, [DZUP]; Manaus, Col. St. Antonio, 11.xi.1971, INPA#1 6564, 1 worker, [MZSP].