Leptanilloides

Donoso, D. A., Vieira, J. M. & Wild, A. L., 2006, Three new species of Leptanilloides Mann from Andean Ecuador (Formicidae: Leptanilloidinae)., Zootaxa 1201, pp. 47-62 : 48

Leptanilloides is an uncommonly collected ant genus with subterranean habits in the New World Andean and sub-Andean tropics. With cryptic and eyeless worker ants, the genus was included in the ant subfamily Cerapachyinae (Brown 1975; Bolton 1990a, b) until Baroni Urbani et al. (1992) justified the establishment of a separate subfamily, Leptanilloidinae , hypothesized as the sister group to Cerapachyinae and all other members of the dorylomorphs. The only apomorphy for the new subfamily provided by Baroni Urbani et al. (l. c.) was the extremely reduced pygidium, represented by a small U-shaped sclerite.

Brandao, Diniz et al. (1999) expanded our understanding of Leptanilloidinae and described six new species that were arranged in two genera, Leptanilloides and Asphinctanilloides . The reassessment, based on external and sting characters, added five apomorphies supporting the subfamily: lateral blunt teeth on genae, metatibial gland absent, gonostylus fused to the posterior arm of the oblong plate, several microtrichia plus two longer sensillae at the presumed junction of gonostylus with posterior arm of oblong plate, and base of sting shaft with a pair of long setae. Brandao, Diniz et al. (l. c.) also established several apomorphies for both leptanilloidine genera. For Leptanilloides , two apomorphies were proposed: propodeal dorsum at least two times longer than declivity and abdominal segments 4 and 5 separated by a deep incision; while for Asphinctanilloides , five apomorphies were established: postpetiole extremely reduced in size with spiracle at midlength, spiracular plate median connection of the sting apparatus with bilobed anterior region, quadrate plate apodeme wider than body of the plate, fulcral arms absent, and basal ridge of sting not visible. Recently, Longino (2003) described a new species, Leptanilloides mckennae Longino , from Costa Rica. Leptanilloides mckennae expands the geographic distribution of the subfamily and also presents some characters (i.e. very small postpetiole and posterior shifted postpetiolar spiracle) that have been considered apomorphic for Asphinctanilloides .

The male caste of Leptanilloidinae was described recently by Ward (2006), who linked an unassociated male ant from a montane Costa Rican forest to L. mckennae workers using molecular data. Ward (l. c.) also discussed the molecular similarities of leptanilloidines to other dorylomorphs and the evolution and morphological convergences of ant assemblages living in subterranean habitats (see also Ward 1994; Lopez et al. 1994; Brady & Ward 2005). Brandao, Silva et al. (1999) review some aspects of the biology of this subfamily, including observations suggestive of nomadic habits.