Leptanilla voldemort sp. nov., a gracile new species of the hypogaeic ant genus Leptanilla (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Pilbara, with a key to Australian Leptanilla

By

Wong, Mark K. L.
McRae, Jane

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1197

Pages

171--182

Subjects

Australia , hypogaeic , Leptanilla , Milieu Souterrain Superficiel , subterranean

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1197.114072

 

Abstract

The genus Leptanilla Emery, 1870 of the family Formicidae, subfamily Leptanillinae, comprises miniscule, pale, blind ants that are rarely collected and poorly understood due to their hypogaeic (i.e. underground) lifestyles. Here we describe a new Leptanilla species from two workers collected via subterranean scraping in the arid Pilbara region of Western Australia. Leptanilla voldemortsp. nov. is the second leptanilline species documented in Australia after the elusive Leptanilla swani Wheeler, 1932. Workers of L. voldemortsp. nov. display a remarkably gracile morphology characterised by elongated legs, antennae, and mandibles, and they are easily differentiated from other Leptanilla species. We also provide new measurements for L. swani from two workers found proximally to the type locality of L. voldemortsp. nov. A key to the worker caste of Leptanilla species of the Australian continent is presented.