Leptothorax goesswaldi

Distribution
This taxon was described from Germany.

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.