Lenomyrmex
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| Lenomyrmex | |
|---|---|
 | |
| L. colwelli worker from Costa Rica | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Lenomyrmex Fernández & Palacio, 1999 |
| Type species | |
| Lenomyrmex mandibularis Fernández & Palacio, 1999 | |
| Diversity[1] | |
| 7 species | |
Lenomyrmex is a Neotropical genus of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae.[2]
- Lenomyrmex colwelli Longino, 2006
- Lenomyrmex costatus Fernández & Palacio, 1999
- Lenomyrmex foveolatus Fernández & Palacio, 1999
- Lenomyrmex hoelldobleri
- Lenomyrmex inusitatus (Fernández, 2001)
- Lenomyrmex mandibularis Fernández & Palacio, 1999
- Lenomyrmex wardi Fernández & Palacio, 1999
Distribution
Lenomyrmex includes six rarely collected species from Costa Rica to Ecuador.[3] Species have been collected from elevations close to sea level to 1800 m but seem to be mainly restricted to mid-elevations, that is, 1100–1500 m.[4]
Description
The genus is characterized by elongate mandibles bearing a series of minute peg-like denticles that arise behind the masticatory margin, by frontal lobes that are poorly expanded laterally, by large and deep antennal fossae, and by pedunculate petiole, with a poorly defined node.[3] Among Lenomyrmex species, the queen caste has been described only for L. mandibularis, L. wardi and L. inusitatus.[3]
Taxonomy
The fact that Lenomyrmex possesses both primitive (e.g., promesonotal suture well developed) and derived (e.g., specialized morphology of the mandibles) characters makes ascertaining its correct phylogenetic position challenging. The genus was tentatively placed in its own tribe, Lenomyrmecini, but its position within the Myrmicinae remained to be determined. Preliminary results of a phylogenetic analysis indicated that Lenomyrmex fell within a clade of predominantly New World ants that includes the tribes Attini, Cephalotini, Dacetini, and the genus Pheidole.[3] The genus was finally placed in Attini, when Ward et al. (2014) synonymized Lenomyrmecini under Attini.[5]
