Key to Leptogenys of India

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online

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. 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 longiscapus Donisthorpe, 1943, all described based on the male caste only, are also excluded.

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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

Leptogenys dentilobis casent0902609 p 1 high.jpg

3

return to couplet #2

Leptogenys birmana casent0281921 p 1 high.jpg
Leptogenys processionalis casent0217534 p 1 high.jpg

4

return to couplet #1

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

5

return to couplet #4

6

return to couplet #5

  • Head uniformly longitudinally striate including the vertex; entire mesosoma regularly striate . . . . . Leptogenys kitteli
Leptogenys kitteli casent0217530 p 1 high.jpg
  • 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 . . . . . Leptogenys diminuta
Leptogenys diminuta casent0106010 profile 1.jpg

11

return to couplet #5

12

return to couplet #4

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

13

return to couplet #12

14

return to couplet #13

  • Metanotal groove distinct; petiolar node broader than long in dorsal view, DPI > 110 . . . . . Leptogenys hysterica
Leptogenys hysterica casent0915229 p 1 high.jpg
Leptogenys punctiventris casent0281939 p 1 high.jpg

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
Leptogenys lucidula casent0281926 p 1 high.jpg
  • Pronotum scrobiculate; second and third antennal segments subequal . . . . . Leptogenys emiliae

18

return to couplet #16

Leptogenys roberti casent0281929 p 1 high.jpg

19

return to couplet #18

  • Head rectangular; head and mesosoma opaque, closely punctured, with a blue metallic tint . . . . . Leptogenys moelleri
Leptogenys moelleri casent0281928 p 1 high.jpg
  • Head subquadrate; head and mesosoma shiny, moderately punctured, with no metallic tint . . . . . Leptogenys dalyi
Leptogenys dalyi casent0281930 p 1 high.jpg

21

return to couplet #15

  • 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
Leptogenys lattkei antweb1008007 p 1 high.jpg
  • Body brown; mesonotum subequal, as wide as long; HW > 0.8 mm; scapes longer SI > 150 . . . . . Leptogenys transitionis
Leptogenys transitionis antweb1008005 p 1 high.jpg

24

return to couplet #21

Leptogenys assamensis casent0902617 p 1 high.jpg
  • 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
Leptogenys chinensis casent0270544 p 1 high.jpg
  • Anterior clypeal margin laterally straight, with apex bluntly rounded and edentate . . . . . Leptogenys peuqueti
Leptogenys peuqueti casent0281935 p 1 high.jpg