Key to Leptogenys of India

This worker key is based on: Bharti, H.; Wachkoo, A. A. 2013c. Two new species of the ant genus Leptogenys (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from India, with description of a plesiomorphic ergatogyne. Asian Myrmecology 5:11-19. [[Media:Bharti & Wachkoo 2013c.pdf|PDF]]

Leptogenys stenocheilos (Jerdon, 1851) could not be placed in this key due to the inadequate description and unavailability of the material. Leptogenys iridipennis (Smith, F., 1858), Leptogenys carinata Donisthorpe, 1943 and Leptogenys longiscapa Donisthorpe, 1943, all described based on the male caste only, are also excluded.

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 * Leptogenys
 * Ants of India (species list)
 * India Regional Project page

1

 * Petiolar node squamiform, compressed longitudinally, its dorsal margin narrow . . . . . 2


 * Petiolar node nodiform, not compressed longitudinally, dorsum broader, sub-rectangular . . . . . 4

2
return to couplet #1
 * Clypeus armed with 3 teeth anteriorly . . . . . Leptogenys dentilobis


 * Clypeus unarmed anteriorly . . . . . 3

3
return to couplet #2
 * Head subquadrate, CI > 95; scapes shorter, SI < 85 . . . . . Leptogenys birmana 


 * Head rectangular, CI < 92; scapes longer, SI > 90 . . . . . Leptogenys processionalis

4
return to couplet #1
 * Head more-or-less striate . . . . . 5


 * Head either punctured or smooth and shining, never striate . . . . . 12

5
return to couplet #4
 * Head entirely striate . . . . . 6


 * Head without striation posterior to eyes . . . . . 9

6
return to couplet #5
 * Head uniformly longitudinally striate including the vertex; entire mesosoma regularly striate . . . . . 8


 * Head mostly longitudinally striate, vertex distinctly transversely striate; pronotum and mesonotum only rugose, with no regular striation; propodeal dorsum smooth, with a few scattered shallow punctures . . . . . 7

7
return to couplet #6
 * Head subrectangular, lateral margins parallel . . . . . Leptogenys diminuta


 * Head oval, lateral margins strongly convex . . . . . Leptogenys diminuta deceptrix

8
return to couplet #6
 * Larger species; HW > 1.55 . . . . . Leptogenys kitteli


 * Smaller species; HW < 1.55 . . . . . Leptogenys kitteli minor

9
return to couplet #5
 * Body yellowish or reddish brown; head oval . . . . . Leptogenys diminuta woodmasoni


 * Body black; head subrectangular . . . . . 10

10
return to couplet #9
 * Clypeus acutely carinate medially . . . . . 11


 * Clypeus not carinate medially . . . . . Leptogenys diminuta palliseri

11
return to couplet #10
 * Vertex smooth and shiny without any striation . . . . . Leptogenys diminuta laeviceps


 * Vertex with feeble transverse striation . . . . . Leptogenys diminuta diminutolaeviceps

12
return to couplet #4
 * First gastral segment opaque, scrobiculate . . . . . 13


 * First gastral segment mostly smooth with only widely spaced sparse piligerous punctulae . . . . . 15

13
return to couplet #12
 * Larger species; HW > 1.45 mm . . . . . Leptogenys binghamii


 * Smaller species; HW < 0.95 mm . . . . . 14

14
return to couplet #13
 * Metanotal groove distinct; petiolar node broader than long in dorsal view, DPI > 110 . . . . . Leptogenys hysterica


 * Metanotal groove obsolete; petiolar node longer than broad, DPI < 90 . . . . . Leptogenys punctiventris

15
return to couplet #12
 * Petiolar node broader than long or about as broad as long in dorsal view; petiolar dorsum broadly rounded in lateral view . . . . . 16


 * Petiolar node longer than broad in dorsal view; petiolar dorsum sloping anteriorly in lateral view . . . . . 21

16
return to couplet #15
 * Cephalic dorsum smooth and shining, at most with sparse piligerous punctulae . . . . . 17


 * Cephalic dorsum opaque or shining but distinctly punctate . . . . . 18

17
return to couplet #16
 * Pronotum smooth; second antennal segment (first funicular segment after scape) two-fifths longer than the third . . . . . Leptogenys lucidula


 * Pronotum scrobiculate; second and third antennal segments subequal . . . . . Leptogenys emiliae

18
return to couplet #16
 * Basal mandibular margin toothed . . . . . 19


 * Basal mandibular margin not toothed . . . . . 20

19
return to couplet #18
 * Head rectangular; head and mesosoma opaque, closely punctured, with a blue metallic tint . . . . . Leptogenys moelleri


 * Head subquadrate; head and mesosoma shiny, moderately punctured, with no metallic tint . . . . . Leptogenys dalyi

20
return to couplet #18
 * Gaster lighter in colour than head and mesosoma; third antennal segment distinctly longer than second segment . . . . . Leptogenys roberti


 * Gaster unicolorous with head and mesosoma; second and third antennal segment subequal . . . . . Leptogenys roberti coonoorensis

21
return to couplet #15
 * Cephalic dorsum coarsely punctate . . . . . 22


 * Cephalic dorsum smooth and shining without punctures . . . . . 24

22
return to couplet #21
 * HW > 0.95 mm; petiolar node broader than long; mesosomal dorsum densely punctate . . . . . Leptogenys jeanettei


 * HW < 0.95 mm; petiolar node longer than broad; mesosomal dorsum smooth and shiny . . . . . 23

23
return to couplet #22
 * Body black; mesonotum almost twice as wide as long; HW < 0.8 mm; scapes shorter SI < 140 . . . . . Leptogenys lattkei


 * Body brown; mesonotum subequal, as wide as long; HW > 0.8 mm; scapes longer SI > 150 . . . . . Leptogenys transitionis

24
return to couplet #21
 * Body brown; third antennal segment almost 3x length of second . . . . . Leptogenys assamensis


 * Body black; third antennal segment ≤ 2x length of second . . . . . 25

25
return to couplet #24
 * Anterior clypeal margin laterally sinusoid, with apex transverse and dentate . . . . . Leptogenys chinensis


 * Anterior clypeal margin laterally straight, with apex bluntly rounded and edentate . . . . . 26

26
return to couplet #25
 * Head subrectangular in full-face view with lateral margins distinctly diverging anteriorly; scape short, surpasses posterior cephalic border by about one-third its length . . . . . Leptogenys minchinii


 * Head subquadrate in full-face view with subparallel lateral margins; scape long, surpasses posterior cephalic border by about half its length . . . . . Leptogenys peuqueti