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Lenomyrmex, an enigmatic new ant genus from the Neotropical Region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)
Author(s) -
C. Fernando Fernández,
G. Edgard E. Palacio
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
systematic entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1365-3113
pISSN - 0307-6970
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3113.1999.00063.x
Subject(s) - biology , myrmicinae , hymenoptera , subfamily , genus , taxon , holotype , autapomorphy , paleontology , zoology , anatomy , phylogenetics , biochemistry , gene
. We describe a new myrmicine ant genus, Lenomyrmex , with four new species: L. mandibularis (type species) and L. foveolatus from Colombia, L. wardi from Ecuador and Colombia, and L. costatus from Panama. The new taxon is clearly distinguished from other myrmicine ants by the following combination of characters: (1) mandibles elongate‐triangular, with crenulate masticatory margin three times longer than basal margin, and bearing a series of ten to twenty minute peg‐like denticles that arise along and immediately behind the masticatory margin; (2) frontal lobes poorly expanded laterally, partly covering the antennal fossae; (3) large and deep antennal fossae; (4) antennal scrobes absent; (5) eyes protuberant; (6) petiole pedunculate, with poorly defined node and with an anteroventral subpetiolar process pointed anteriorly. The affinities of this new taxon within Myrmicinae remain unclear and the observed characters do not permit it to be included satisfactorily in any of the known tribes or genus groups of the subfamily.