Miscellaneous Ants SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Leptothorax Emery

In Bolton's catalogue as a single genus Leptothorax (Bolton, 1995: 33). Now reorganised by Bolton (2003: 270 ff) from one Genus Leptothorax into three Genera Leptothorax Mayr, Nesomyrmex Wheeler and Temnothorax Mayr.

In Tribe FORMICOXENINI.

Separation of genera workers can be found on Former Leptothorax.

Genus Leptothorax Mayr (1855: 431)

Diagnostic Features - Eyes well developed, at or about the midlength of the head. Antennae with 11 segments and a 3-segmented club, no antennal scrobes. Median anterior portion of clypeus not projecting over the base of the mandibles as a broad arcuate lobe and without and isolated median seta. Alitrunk with the anterodorsal angles acute, giving a square-shouldered appearance. Promesonotal suture absent, metanotal groove weak or absent. Propodeum bidentate or bispinose. Petiole with a very short, thick anterior peduncle. Erect hairs on all dorsal surfaces and thick, short and blunt. Superficially they are like some Tetramorium but their sting has no apicodorsal lamelliform appendage. Monomorphic workers (revised after Bolton, 2003).

Mayr's (1855) genus definition is at . From Austria Mayr separated Leptothorax acervorum as having erect hairs on the legs.

Radchenko (2004) noted that Leptothorax (s. str.) includes only 16 free living and socially parasitic Holarctic, mainly boreal, species.

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