Leptogenys diminuta

Identification
A member of the Leptogenys diminuta species group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia. Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands. Oriental Region: Bangladesh, India, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam. Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  diminuta. Ponera diminuta Smith, F. 1857a: 69 (w.) BORNEO. Forel, 1900d: 312 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1976a: 49 (l.); Imai, Brown, et al. 1984: 67 (k.); Imai, Kubota, et al. 1985: 46 (k.). Combination in Lobopelta: Mayr, 1862: 734; in Leptogenys: Emery, 1895k: 461. Senior synonym of simillima: Mayr, 1863: 428; of bismarckensis, ferox, stitzi, santschii and material of the unavailable names amboinensis, huruensis referred here: Wilson, 1958a: 118; of yarrabahna: Taylor, 1988: 34. Current subspecies: nominal plus deceptrix, diminutolaeviceps, fruhstorferi, laeviceps, nongnongi, opacinodis, palliseri, sarasinorum, striatula, tjibodana, woodmasoni. See also: Bingham, 1903: 61.
 * simillima. Ponera simillima Smith, F. 1860b: 104 (w.) INDONESIA (Batjan I.). Combination in Lobopelta: Mayr, 1862: 734. Junior synonym of diminuta: Mayr, 1863: 428.
 * ferox. Ponera ferox Smith, F. 1865: 70 (w.) INDONESIA (Salawaty I.). Combination in Leptogenys: Donisthorpe, 1932c: 472. Junior synonym of diminuta: Wilson, 1958a: 118.
 * bismarckensis. Leptogenys (Lobopelta) diminuta var. bismarckensis Forel, 1901b: 7 (w.) NEW GUINEA (Bismarck Archipelago). Junior synonym of diminuta: Wilson, 1958a: 118.
 * papuana. Leptogenys (Lobopelta) diminuta var. papuana Stitz, 1912: 498, fig. 1 (w.) NEW GUINEA. [Junior primary homonym of papuana Emery, above.] Replacement name: stitzi Viehmeyer, 1924b: 310.
 * yarrabahna. Leptogenys (Lobopelta) diminuta var. yarrabahna Forel, 1915b: 29 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of diminuta: Taylor, 1988: 34.
 * santschii. Leptogenys (Lobopelta) diminuta subsp. santschii Mann, 1919: 299 (w.q.m.) SOLOMON IS. Junior synonym of diminuta: Wilson, 1958a: 118.
 * stitzi. Leptogenys (Lobopelta) diminuta var. stitzi Viehmeyer, 1924b: 310. Replacement name for papuana Stitz, 1912: 498. [Junior primary homonym of papuana Emery, 1897d: 556.] Junior synonym of diminuta: Wilson, 1958a: 118.
 * hodgsoni. Leptogenys (Lobopelta) diminuta r. hodgsoni Forel, 1900d: 308 (diagnosis in key) (w.) MYANMAR. Raised to species: Bingham, 1903: 62. Junior synonym of diminuta: Xu, Z.-H., He, Q.-J. 2015: 144.
 * sarasinorum. Leptogenys (Lobopelta) diminuta var. sarasinorum Forel, 1900d: 307 (diagnosis in key) (w.) SRI LANKA.
 * As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Forel, 1912n: 52.
 * Subspecies of diminuta: Bingham, 1903: 62; Emery, 1911d: 103; Forel, 1913e: 661; Menozzi, 1939a: 329; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 35; Bolton, 1995b: 233 (error).
 * Status as species: Collingwood, 1970: 373.
 * Junior synonym of diminuta: Xu & He, 2015: 138.

Type Material


Ponera diminuta

Two worker syntypes in. Labelled “SAR. 31” (= Sarawak) and with Donisthorpe type-label.

Ponera ferox

Holotype worker in. Labelled “S” (= Salawaty I.) and with a Donisthorpe type-label.

Ponera simillima

Two worker syntypes in. Labelled “Bac” (= Batjan I.) and with a Donisthorpe type-label.