Leptanilloides golbachi

Leptanilloides golbachi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Leptanilloides
Species:	L. golbachi
Binomial name
Leptanilloides golbachi (Kusnezov, 1953) Specimen Label

This species is only known from males. It is possible these males represent sexuals from Asphinctanilloides, a Leptanilloidinae genus that is only known from workers.

Identification

Ward and Brady (2009) provide the following list of distinctions between known males of Leptanilloides (Donoso et al. 2006; Ward 2007) and Amyrmex. This list also includes a caveat. A number of undetermined male specimens that are likely Amyrmex make these generic differences less certain. Currently golbachi is the only described Amyrmex species.

Amyrmex

• Small body size, HW 0.32–0.41, LHT 0.29–0.39
• Scape shorter: SI 0.27–0.31; scape less than twice the length of the second antennal segment (SL/LA2

1.5–1.8)

• Legs shorter, LHT/HL ~1.2
• Paramere small, ~0.8× petiole length
• Veins M and Cu diverging at crossvein cu-a
• Submarginal cell elongate: about four times longer than wide, longer than the basal cell, extending distad of stigma and terminating in an acute point
• No free M vein after Rs+M

Leptanilloides

• Variable body size, HW ~0.40–0.64, LHT 0.40–0.72
• Scape disproportionately longer: SI 0.37–0.41; scape more than twice the length of second antennal segment (SL/LA2 ~2.2)
• Legs disproportionately longer, LHT/HL ~1.5
• Paramere large, ~1.5× petiole length
• Veins M and Cu diverging distal to crossvein cu-a by a distance greater than the length of the crossvein
• Submarginal cell less elongate: no more than three times longer than wide, shorter than the basal cell, and terminating at level of stigma
• Free M vein after Rs+M (may be weak)

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -25.98333333° to -27.1°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina (type locality), Brazil.

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Abundance

Rarely encountered.

Biology

Anecdotal observations suggest the Leptanilloidinae are army-ant like predators. These ants are likely to be largely subterranean, occasionally coming to the ground surface under debri (rocks, downed wood, etc.) while foraging or to allow mature sexuals (either males only or perhaps males and females) to leave their natal nest.

Castes

Known only from males.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

• golbachi. Amyrmex golbachi Kusnezov, 1953b: 335, 6 figs. (m.) ARGENTINA (Tucumán).
  • Type-material: holotype male.
  • Type-locality: Argentina: Tucumán, San Ramon, 10.v.1948, no. 1892 (R. Golbach).
  • Type-depository: IMLT.
  • [Note: Cuezzo, 2000: 271, treats as paratypes three other males mentioned by Kusnezov in “material examined”. However, in the original description the single specimen from San Ramon is nominated as holotype, the other three are noted only as “material examined”, not as paratypes.]
  • Combination in Forelius: Shattuck, 1992c: 95;
  • combination in Amyrmex: Cuezzo, 2000: 271;
  • combination in Leptanilloides: Borowiec, M.L. 2016: 156.
  • Status as species: Kutter, 1968b: 206; Kempf, 1972a: 20; Shattuck, 1994: 93; Bolton, 1995b: 190; Cuezzo, 2000: 271; Ward & Brady, 2009: 49 (redescription).
  • Distribution: Argentina.

Description

Worker

No workers known for this species.

Queen

No Queens known for this species.

Male

Macho. Largo 1,8-2 mm. Color castano sucio con extremidades mas claras. Todo el cuerpo con setitas microscopic as agudas, oblicuas, bastante regularmente distribuidos, sobre la superficie de la cabeza, torax, abdomen, asi como sobre las extremidades. Cabeza un poco mas ancha, que larga (sin contar los ojos; con los oj os es mucho mas ancha que larga), con los costados convexos y convergentes hacia atras, hasta los ocelos posteriores. Los tres ocelos son muy convexos de modo que el margen occipital entre ellos parece concavo. La distancia entre los ocelos es inferior a su diametro. Los ojos son muy grandes y muy convexos, con margenes anteriores algo convergentes hacia adelante, situados en la mitad anterior de la cabeza a poca distancia de las inserciones mandibulares. Clipeo con margen anterior arqueado. Antenas largas, filiformes; solamente el art. 1 del funiculo, asi como el ultimo son un poco mas largos que otros. Escapo apenas tan largo, o aun algo mas corto que los dos primeros articulos del funiculo. Rinarios ovalados. Las partes mas desarrolladas del torax son el mesotorax (escudo del mesotorax, asi como los mesopleuras y el mesosterno, los cualeS son fusionados sin dejar ni rasgos de sutura) y el escutelo, siendo protorax y metatorax muy reducidos. Peciolo ver en la descripcion del genero. Patas finas y largas. Espolones de las tibias anteriores pectinados, los de las medias y posteriores simples. Unas simples, muy finas en su mitad apical. El primer articulo tarsal el mas largo de todos; los siguientes progresivamente mas cortos, excepto el ultimo, que es mas largo que el penultimo.

Holotipo lote No 1892, San Ramon, 10-5-1948, col. Golbach.

Material examinado: n 177, Tucuman, 25-4-1948, a la luz; n 1892, San Ramon, 10-5-1948, col. Golbach; n 6176, Tucuman, 4-10-1950, de dia volando; nQ 7623, Tucuman, 26-2-1951; en total 4 machos.

Las mandibulas simples y debiles y las demas partes bucales reducidas hasta quedar invisibles en las preparaciones los palpos, permiten suponer, que se trata en el caso de Amyrmex golbachi de un parasito social.

Mientras la posicion sistematica de Neoforelius al lado del genero Forelius esta completamente clara, no se puede decir lo mismo con respecto a Amyrmex. La conformacion particular de la nervadura del ala anterior, asi como la del peciolo y las relaciones entre los segmentos abdominales no permiten todavia fijar su posicion sistematica con seguridad. Por eso lo atribuimos a la tribus Tapinomini en forma provisoria.

Type Material

San Ramon (Argentina) 10-5-1948, col. Golbach.

References

• Borowiec, M.L. 2016. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 608: 1–280 (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.608.9427).
• Brandão, C. R. F., J. L. M. Diniz, D. Agosti, and J. Delabie. 1999. Revision of the neotropical ant subfamily Leptanilloidinae. Systematic Entomology. 24:17-36.
• Cuezzo, F. 2000. Revisión del género Forelius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae). Sociobiology 35: 197-275 (page 271, returned to Amyrmex)
• Donoso, D. A., J. M. Vieira, and A. L. Wild. 2006. Three new species of Leptanilloides Mann from Andean Ecuador (Formicidae: Leptanilloidinae). Zootaxa. 1201:47-62.
• Kusnezov, N. 1953c. Lista de las hormigas de Tucumán con descripción de dos nuevos géneros (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Acta Zool. Lilloana 13: 327-339 (page 335, 6 figs. worker, male described)
• Shattuck, S. O. 1992c. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 21: 1-181 (page 95, Combination in Forelius)
• Ward, P. S. and S. G. Brady. 2009. Rediscovery of the ant genus Amyrmex Kusnezov (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and its transfer from Dolichoderinae to Leptanilloidinae. Zootaxa. 2063:46-54.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Cuezzo F. 2000. Revisión del género Forelius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae). Sociobiology 35: 197-275.
• Cuezzo, F. 1998. Formicidae. Chapter 42 in Morrone J.J., and S. Coscaron (dirs) Biodiversidad de artropodos argentinos: una perspectiva biotaxonomica Ediciones Sur, La Plata. Pages 452-462.
• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
• Kusnezov N. 1956. Claves para la identificación de las hormigas de la fauna argentina. Idia 104-105: 1-56.
• Kusnezov, N.. "Lista de las hormigas de Tucumán con descripción de dos nuevos géneros (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)." Acta Zoologica Lilloana 13 (1953): 327-339.
• Shattuck S. O. 1994. Taxonomic catalog of the ant subfamilies Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 112: i-xix, 1-241.
• Ward P. S., and S. G. Brady. 2009. Rediscovery of the ant genus Amyrmex Kusnezov (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and its transfer from Dolichoderinae to Leptanilloidinae. Zootaxa 2063: 46-54.