Leptogenys loarelae Ramage, 2019

Ramage, Thibault, Jouault, Corentin, Schmidt, Alexander R., Seyfullah, Leyla J. & Perrichot, Vincent, 2019, Two new ant species (Formicidae: Dorylinae, Ponerinae) from New Caledonia, European Journal of Taxonomy 589, pp. 1-14 : 4-7

Leptogenys loarelae Ramage sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:819E8C18-56F7-4CB5-AE07-00B5406D924A

Fig. 1

Diagnosis

Leptogenys loarelae Ramage sp. nov. can be distinguished from other New Caledonia species of Leptogenys by the unique combination of the following features: integument smooth and shining, mostly black colored with blueish reflection; third antennal segment markedly elongate, more than twice the length of pedicel; mandible elongate, triangular; petiole elongate, nearly three times longer than broad in dorsal view.

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the first name of Thibault Ramage’s daughter, Loarel. The species epithet is to be treated as a noun in the genitive case.

Type material

Holotype

NEW CALEDONIA • wingless ♀; Grande Terre, Province Sud, Sarraméa, Plateau de Dogny trail; 21°37′10.7″ S, 165°52′31.9″ E; 897 m; 16 Nov. 2011; V. Perrichot leg. [VP209]; mixed mountain forest, hand picking on ground; MNHN.

Description

Worker holotype

MEASUREMENTS (in mm). TL 11.5; HL 2.06; HW 1.3; SL 2.56; ED 0.5; PW 1.16; MSL 3.65; PL 1.83; PH 0.8; DPW 0.63; CI 62.9; SI 197.4; LPI 43.6; DPI 34.5.

HEAD. Elongate, sub-trapezoidal, lateral sides diverging anteriorly ( Fig. 1B ); lateral margin barely convex; posterior margin weakly concave medially, posterior lateral corners rounded. Clypeus triangular, with blunt apex and sligthly concave side margins. In full-face view, eye large, oval, maximum diameter greater than twice the maximum width of scape; placed at head midline. Antennae with scape long and slightly enlarged medially, surpassing posterior margin of head by its 2⁄₅ th; funicular segments elongate;

third antennal segment markedly elongate, more than twice the length of the second. Mandible triangular, elongate, shorter than head width; masticatory margin edentate.

MESOSOMA ( Fig. 1A, C ). Elongate, compressed laterally, widest at pronotum; mesosomal dorsal surface in profile slightly convex. In dorsal view, mesonotum as long as broad. Propodeal spiracle slit-like. Petiole ( Fig. 1A , C–D) elongate, nearly three times as long as broad, trapezoidal, widest at apex; dorsal surface of petiolar node convex, posterior surface slightly concave, anterodorsal and posterodorsal corners angular. Subpetiolar process small, trapezoidal; located beneath anterior 1⁄₅ th of the petiole ( Fig. 1D ). Gaster elongate.

INTEGUMENT. Smooth and shining, very finely and sparsely punctate; mostly black with blueish reflection, except mandibles, antennal radicel and funicular articles, tarsomeres and hypopygium and pygidium reddish brown. Dorsum of body covered by erect and suberect yellow setae; setae longer on head, scape, pronotum, procoxa and gaster, but shorter on remaining body.

Key to the Leptogenys species (workers) of New Caledonia (modified from Wilson 1958)

1. Large species (HW> 1.2 mm) .......................................................................................................... 2

– Small species (HW ≤ 1.2 mm) .......................................................................................................... 3

2. Mandibles exceptionally long, their length measured from insertion to tip exceeding the head width ( Fig. 2A ) ............................................................................................ Leptogenys rouxi Emery, 1914

– Mandibles shorter, their length much less than the head width ( Fig. 1B ) ....................................... .......................................................................................... Leptogenys loarelae Ramage sp. nov.

3. Head entirely covered by coarse punctures ( Fig. 2C ) .................. Leptogenys punctata Emery, 1914

– Head entirely smooth and shining ( Fig. 2B ) ..................................................................................... 4

4. Larger species, head width ≥ 0.9 mm; in dorsal view, posterior corners of petiolar node forming distinct angles of 45–50° ( Fig. 3A ) .......................................... Leptogenys acutangula Emery, 1914

– Smaller species, head width not exceeding 0.75 mm; in dorsal view, posterior corners of petiolar node thick and broadly rounded ( Fig. 3B ) ..................................... Leptogenys sagaris Wilson, 1958

Subfamily Dorylinae Leach, 1815

Genus Lioponera Mayr, 1879

Figures

Fig. 1. Leptogenys loarelae Ramage sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (MNHN). A. Body in profile view. B. Head in full-face view. C. Body in dorsal view. D. Reconstruction of petiole in left profile view.

Fig. 2. Comparison of head, in full-face view, of species of Leptogenys of New Caledonia. A. L. rouxi Emery, 1914 (CASENT0270571). B. L. acutangula Emery, 1914 (CASENT0270535). C. L. punctata Emery, 1914 (CASENT0903948). Images: A–B by Estella Ortega, C by Will Ericson.

Fig. 3. Comparison of the body in dorsal view of Leptogenys species of New Caledonia. A. L. acutangula Emery, 1914 (CASENT0270535). B. L. sagaris Wilson, 1958 (CASENT0270576). Images: A by Estella Ortega, B by Ryan Perry.