PSYCHE 
Vol. 89 1982 No. 3-4 
LEPTOTHORAX FABERI N. SP., AN APPARENTLY 
PARASITIC ANT FROM JASPER NATIONAL PARK, 
CANADA (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE)* 
By Alfred Buschinger 
Fachbereich Biologie, Institut fur Zoologie, der Technischen 
Hochschule, D 6100 Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 3 (FRG) 
1. Introduction 
The myrmicine tribe Leptothoracini comprises an astoundingly 
rich variety of socially parasitic genera and species. Guest ants 
(Eormicoxenus, Leptothorax provancheri), as well as slave-making 
genera (Harpagoxenus, Chalepoxenus, Epimyrma) and inquilines 
(Doronomyrmex) have been described (Buschinger, 1981); however, 
we may suspect that only a minor fraction of the existing species is 
already known to science. New species can be found nearly every- 
where when populations of independent species are closely 
examined. 
In August, 1979, I collected leptothoracine ants in several locali- 
ties of Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The main object was 
to find additional material of Doronomyrmex pocahontas, origi- 
nally described from this locality (Buschinger, 1979). On August 19, 
when inspecting rotten sticks in the coniferous forest along Mt. 
Edith Cavill Road near Jasper, I found a colony of a Leptothorax 
species belonging to the “L. muscorum ” group sensu lato. Among 
the nearly black ants I saw a dealate female which was considerably 
smaller than the ordinary queens, and more brownish in color. Its 
general appearance was that of a Leptothorax kutteri queen, an 
inquiline of L. acervorum in Europe (Buschinger, 1965). 
* Manuscript received by the editor June 30, 1982 
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