Leptogenys breviceps Viehmeyer, 1914

Č, Peter Hlavá & Janda, Milan, 2009, Leptogenopapus mirabilis, a new genus and species of Lomechusini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae) from Papua New Guinea associated with ants of the genus Leptogenys Roger, Zootaxa 2062, pp. 57-64 : 60

Host ant Leptogenys breviceps Viehmeyer, 1914

( Figs. 16, 17 )

Leptogenys is a large genus of Ponerinae ants containing about 259 described species ( Bolton et al. 2006) distributed in tropics of all zoogeographic regions. All Leptogenys species are predators feeding on other arthropods but many species developed different strategies for hunting ( Steghaus-Kovac & Maschwitz 1993). There are only about ten species reported to hunt collectively, exhibiting the legionary behavior. All are known from the tropical Asia and Australia (Queensland) ( Hölldobler & Wilson 1990). The holotype of Leptogenys breviceps comes from eastern Papua New Guinea (Wareo, Morobe province). This species is considered to be a member of L. processionalis „group“, containing species with mostly Indo-Malayan distribution ( Wilson 1958b). Ants related to L. processionalis ( Jerdon, 1851) are believed to conduct group raides when searching for prey ( Wilson 1958a). The second author also witnessed group raiding behavior in L. breviceps during foraging, although predation was not directly observed. The investigated colony of L. breviceps was nesting in soil in the vicinity of a small pathway through grass undergrowth. The nest had multiple entrance holes and groups of ants were running among them. The surrounding vegetation was as a mixture of abandoned and active gardens, covered by patches of secondary re-growth forest, 5–15 years old. Wilson (1958b) reported L. breviceps from a secondary forest, as well as from a primary forest.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 17. Leptogenys breviceps Viehmeyer. 16, head, dorsal; 17, habitus, lateral.