Monomorium leda

Little is known about the biology of .

Identification
Sparks et al. (2015) - A member of the M. rothsteini species group. A medium sized amber orange species with small eyes and a deeply concave anterodorsal margin of the clypeus. The mesosoma is without dorsal sculpture except posteriorly and in the extreme lateral areas. T1 is smooth and the dorsal surface of the propodeum lacks longitudinal and transverse strigae.

Distribution
This species is known only from the type locality which is the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. The exact locality is unknown.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 * . Monomorium rothsteini var. leda Forel, 1915b: 71 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
 * Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Sparks, et al. 2014: 510), 21 paralectotype workers, 5 paralectotype males.
 * Type-locality: lectotype Australia: N Western Australia, Kimberley Dist. (E. Mjöberg); paralectotypes: 16 workers, 5 males with same data, 5 workers Queensland, Alice River (E. Mjöberg).
 * [Note: original description also includes syntype workers from N Western Australia, Noonkanbah (E. Mjöberg), not mentioned by Sparks, et al. 2014: 510.].
 * Type-depositories: MHNG (lectotype); ANIC, MHNG (paralectotypes).
 * Combination in Chelaner: Ettershank, 1966: 97;
 * combination in Monomorium: Taylor, 1987b: 3.
 * Subspecies of rothsteini: Emery, 1922e: 171; Ettershank, 1966: 97; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 58; Taylor, 1987a: 20; Bolton, 1995b: 263.
 * Junior synonym of rothsteini: Heterick, 2001: 408.
 * Status as species: Sparks, et al. 2014: 510 (redescription).
 * Distribution: Australia.

Sparks et al. (2015) - The concept of M. leda adopted here is based on the workers from the Kimberley district and those from Alice River, Queensland clearly belong to a different, as yet undescribed species. It is not possible to determine from Forel’s original description which population was used for the species concept and we have therefore chosen the population with the majority of type material. A further complication has emerged from Forel’s original syntype series in that two morphotypes are represented by the five male specimens from the Kimberley district, clearly representing two distinct species, neither of which can be associated with the worker caste as this time.

Worker
Sparks et al. (2015) - (n=9). HW 0.82–0.90, HL 0.86–0.96, EL 0.14–0.17, PMH 0.33–0.47, PH 0.27–0.31, PNH 0.20–0.23, LHW 0.53–0.59, EW 0.10–0.12, PML 0.47–0.64, ML 0.86–1.05, PL 0.41–0.47, PNWdv 0.23–0.30.

Medium sized species with a medium sized, rectangular head; posterior cephalic margin mildly depressed in the centre. Anterodorsal margin of the clypeus deeply concave with angular frontolateral carinae extending beyond anteroventral clypeal margin forming obtuse angles; anteroventral margin with a small median projection. Frons strigae restricted to antennal lobes and area in between or limited to a few strigae only on antennal lobes; coarse lateral cephalic strigae not reaching eye margin in a majority of specimens, a few very fine strigae may reach eye margin. Eyes small, EW < 0.20 x LHW, 12 ommatidia in longest vertical axis, 9 in longest horizontal axis.

Mesonotum mostly smooth with coarse strigae extending from metanotal groove onto lateral portions of posterior mesonotum only, rugulose between strigae, shallowly alveolate to rugose on lateral curvature posteriad of promesonotal suture line; posterior mesonotum centrally smooth and flat, contiguous with surrounding surface of mesonotum in a majority of specimens, some specimens with the posterior mesonotum slightly raised. Mesopleuron alveolate, a few strigae on dorsal half. Propodeum in lateral view with dorsolateral angles clearly forming an obtuse angle; laterally alveolate with strigae over the metapleural gland bulla extending to metapleural groove; dorsal surface with anterodorsal transverse carina absent in a majority of specimens, very weakly present in a few specimens, transverse and longitudinal strigae absent. Petiole node of medium breadth, between 2 and 2.5 x eye width when viewed from above; shape in posterior view oval; in lateral view anterior and posterior faces converging, apex rounded from higher anterior face to lower posterior face. Posterior surface of petiole node finely reticulate laterally only; postpetiole faintly reticulate laterally and along posterior basal margin. T1 completely smooth and without sculpture.

Head, mesosoma and legs amber orange to orange brown, petiole and postpetiole dorsally infuscated, metasomal tergites light to dark brown.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.