Leptanillinae

Leptanillinae
Leptanilla swani gyne and worker
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Leptanillinae Emery, 1910
Type genus
Leptanilla Emery, 1870
Diversity[1]
3 genera (50-60 species)

Leptanillinae is a subfamily of primitive ants consisting of three genera.

Ants of this subfamily have larvae that feed their hemolymph to the queen through specialized processes on their prothoraces and third abdominal segments.^[2] This behavior resembles that of the distantly related Adetomyrma, also called the Dracula ant, which pierces their larvae to obtain body fluids.^{[citation needed]}

Members of Leptanilla are minute, yellow, blind ants that live below the surface.^{[citation needed]}

Distribution

The Leptanillinae are mainly spread out in tropical and warm temperate regions in Europe and Australian regions.^[3]

Subdivisions

• Leptanillini Emery, 1910
  • Leptanilla Emery, 1870
  • Protanilla Taylor, 1990
• Opamyrmini Boudinot & Griebenow, 2024
  • Opamyrma Yamane et al, 2008

References

1. Bolton, B. (2015). "Leptanillinae". AntCat. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
2. Tree of Life Web Project. 2004. Leptanillini. Version 21 October 2004 (temporary). In: The Tree of Life Web Project
3. Xu, Zhenghui (2017). "The northern-most record of Leptanillinae in China with description of Protanilla beijingensis sp nov (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Asian Myrmecology. 9 – via Science Citation.

External links

• Media related to Leptanillinae at Wikimedia Commons