Revision of the Neotropical ant subfamily Leptanilloidinae

Abstract

The rare Neotropical ant subfamily Leptanilloidinae is revised and its internal phylogeny and biogeography discussed. A new genus, Asphinctanilloides gen.n., including three new species, A. amazona, A. anae and A. manauara, and three new species of Leptanilloides, L. improvisa, L. legionaria and L. sculpturata are described. The only previously known species of the subfamily, L. biconstricta Mann (1923), is redescribed, and the larva of L. legionaria sp.n. is described. Keys to the genera and the species, and a phylogeny of the group are provided. Emphasis has been placed on the study of abdominal and sting characters.

Further revisionary studies on the ant genus Megalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Solenopsidini)

“…In particular, rarely collected species, mainly the relatively small ones, have been recovered by submitting forest leaf litter samples either to Berlese-Tülgrem funnels or Winkler extractors, by attracting them to ground sardine baits, or recovering ants from sifted litter (see Brandão et al 1999). It is interesting to note that even with significant sampling efforts in different habitats, all Megalomyrmex were collected only in wet and subtropical forests; it is also worthwhile to note that Megalomyrmex has never been collected from canopies using insecticide fogging techniques (Wilson, 1987), further indicating that Megalomyrmex are ground living ants that only inhabit the litter of wet and subtropical forests in the Neotropics.…”

Étude morphoanatomique et biométrique du métasoma antérieur des ouvrières. Contribution à la systématique et à la phylogénie des fourmis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

“…-Poneroid complex (hemi-annular presegment III, poneriform thoracic architecture) 1. Brandao et al (1999)] 4.-Architectures not studied here Dolichoderinae and Formicinae VI. -Discussion The Significance of the posterograd process, of the origin and regression of the intercalated structures of segment II, of the separation of the presternite from the poststernite of segment II, and of the global evolution of the metasoma are discussed.…”

“…Les Sphinctomyrmex et les Leptanilloides ont une présegmentation très nette de tous les segments, mais sans pétiolation. Les segments des Asphinctanilloides en revanche, ne sont pas préseg-mentés (d'après Brandao, et al, 1999).…”

“…Brandao et al, 1999) 4. -Architectures formiciformes (presegment III différent des précédents) : Dolichoderinae, Formicinae (non étudiées en détail) L'analyse conduit à l'établissement d'un cladogramme.…”

“…-Complexe Procératinoïde (basé sur l'architecture céphalique) : Proceratiini (présegment III annulaire : Discothyrea, présegment III pseudo-annulaire : Proceratium) ; Probolomyrmecini (présegment III hémi-annulaire : Probolomyrmex) 3. -Architectures inclassables : Aneuretinae (présegment III pseudo-annulaire) ; Leptanilloidinae (présegment III annulaire selon Brandao et al, 1999) 4. -Architectures formiciformes (presegment III différent des précédents) : Dolichoderinae, Formicinae (non étudiées en détail) L'analyse conduit à l'établissement d'un cladogramme.…”