''Leptogenys'' is a genus of ants in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Ponerinae. ''Leptogenys'' is the most diverse ponerine ant genus in the world; it is widespread throughout tropical and

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

regions and there are over 260 extant species described. Most species have ergatoid queens, and many have falcate, bowed mandibles and are specialists on

isopod Isopoda is an order of crustaceans that includes woodlice and their relatives. Isopods live in the sea, in fresh water, or on land. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, an ...

prey.

Description

The ant genus ''Leptogenys'' is one of the most diverse and abundant ponerines throughout the tropical and subtropical regions . The genus has attracted attention due to its wide variety of social organizations and colony structures as well as its remarkably diverse range of behaviors. ''Leptogenys'' range from large-eyed

epigaeic Epigeal, epigean, epigeic and epigeous are biological terms describing an organism's activity above the soil surface. In botany, a seed is described as showing epigeal germination when the cotyledons of the germinating seed expand, throw off the ...

(living or foraging primarily above ground) species to small-eyed cryptobiotic species that inhabit the soil layers or forage through the leaf litter. Such variation occurs across the geographical distribution of the genus. The ''maxillosa'' species-group includes widespread species that have expanded well beyond their native ranges. The worker caste of the genus can be distinguished largely by the distinct pectinate ventral margin of the tarsal claws.

Taxonomy

The

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

history of the genus ''Leptogenys'' includes several

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

s as a result of the remarkable morphological diversity in the group. Several genera and subgenera were described by earlier ant taxonomists based on variation in the shape of the mandible, the number of mandibular teeth, the form of the clypeus, the presence of teeth on the anterior clypeal margin, and the number of peg-like teeth on the ventral margin of the tarsal claws. ''Leptogenys'' now includes the following junior synonyms: ''Prionogenys'', ''Lobopelta'', ''Odontopelta'', ''Machaerogenys'', ''Dorylozelus'', and ''Microbolbos''. These genera originally were in their own tribe, Leptogenyini, but the morphological features used to separate this group were eventually considered insufficient, and Brown (1963) synonymized the tribe with

Ponerini Ponerini is a tribe of Ponerinae ants with 46 genera and 6 extinct genera. Genera *''Anochetus'' *†'' Archiponera'' *''Asphinctopone'' *''Austroponera'' *''Belonopelta'' *''Boloponera'' *''Bothroponera'' *''Brachyponera'' *''Buniapone ...

. A

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study of the Ponerinae by Schmidt (2013) corroborates the placement of ''Leptogenys'' in the Ponerini.

References

*Brown, W.L. Jr. (1963). "Characters and synonymies among the genera of ants, part 3. Some members of the tribe Ponerini". ''Breviora'' 190: 1–10. *Roger, J. (1861). "Die Ponera-artigen Ameisen (Schluss)". Berliner ''Entomologische Zeitschrift'' 5: 1-54. *Schmidt, C. (2013). "Molecular phylogenetics of ponerine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae)". '' Zootaxa'', 3647: 201–250. *

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1820179 Ponerinae Ant genera Taxa named by Julius Roger

Description

Taxonomy

See also

References

External links