Leptanillinae

Leptanillinae
Leptanilla swani female and worker
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Leptanillinae
Genera

Anomalomyrma
Leptanilla
Phaulomyrma
Protanilla
Yavnella
Diversity
c. 50 species

Leptanillinae is a subfamily of ants. They are further divided into the tribes Anomalomyrmini and Leptanillini.

In all Leptanillini the larva feed their hemolymph to the queen through specialized processes on their prothorax and third abdominal segment[1]. This behavior resembles that of the unrelated Adetomyrma, also called Dracula ants, which actually pierce their larvae to get at the body fluids.

At least Leptanilla and Phaulomyrma are minute, yellow, blind ants living below the surface.

Systematics

  • Anomalomyrma Taylor, 1990
  • Anomalomyrma boltoni Borowiec et al, 2011[2]
  • Anomalomyrma helenae Borowiec et al, 2011[2]
  • Anomalomyrma taylori Bolton, 1990
  • Protanilla Taylor, 1990
  • Protanilla bicolor
  • Protanilla concolor
  • Protanilla furcomandibula
  • Protanilla rafflesi Taylor, 1990
  • Leptanilla africana Baroni Urbani, 1977
  • Leptanilla swani Wheeler, 1932
  • Leptanilla kubotai Baroni Urbani, 1977
  • Leptanilla palauensis (Smith, 1953)
  • Leptanilla santschii Wheeler & Wheeler, 1930
  • Leptanilla vaucheri Emery, 1899
  • Leptanilla theryi Forel, 1903
  • Leptanilla tenuis Santschi, 1907
  • > 30 more species
  • Phaulomyrma G.C. Wheeler & E.W. Wheeler, 1930
  • Phaulomyrma javana Wheeler & Wheeler, 1930 — Java
  • Yavnella Kugler, 1987
  • Yavnella argamani Kugler, 1987
  • Yavnella indica Kugler, 1987

Footnotes

  1. ^ Tree of Life: Leptanillini
  2. ^ a b Borowiec, M.L., Schulz, A., Alpert, G.D., & Banar, P. (2011). "Discovery of the worker caste and descriptions of two new species of Anomalomyrma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptanillinae) with unique abdominal morphology." Zootaxa 2810: 1-14.

References