Ant Taxonomy SubFamily- Leptanillinae

Ant Mania > Family > SubFamily (Leptanillinae)

About SubFamily Leptanillinae

Leptanillinae

The leptanilines (Leptanillinae) are a subfamily of ants. It is further divided into the Anomalomyrmini and Leptanillini tribes.

Scientific classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Arthropoda
• Class: Insecta
• Order: Hymenoptera
• Family: Formicidae
• Subfamily: Leptanillinae
• Type genus
• Leptanilla
• Diversity
• 6 genera (50-60 species)

Throughout the Leptanillini tribe, the larvae feed the queen with their hemolymph through specialized glands on her prothorax and third abdominal segment. This behavior is similar to that of the (unrelated) genus Adetomyrma, known as vampire ants or Dracula ants, which pierce their larvae to get at their body fluids.

At least Leptanilla and Phaulomyrma are tiny, yellow, blind ants that live underground.

The Leptanillinae subfamily designates 9 extant genera of ants, based in 1910 by Carlo Emery. Belowground ants from Africa and Europe and a single known genus from Australia. Analyses of its biology are minimal.

[FULL LIST OF Leptanillinae GENUS]

Subfamilies Of Ants