Leptanilla is a genus of ant in the subfamily Leptanillinae. Like other genera in this subfamily, the queen is fed by the hemolymph of their own larvae, which have specialized processes for this purpose.

Biology

Some species form colonies consisting of several hundred workers in the soil. They feed on small arthropods, including centipedes, and are rarely seen because they live underground and rarely come to the surface. In some species the queen is wingless, and new colonies form by budding from established colonies. Others have a nomadic life-style resembling that of army ants.

Description

Leptanilla workers have no eyes, and are pale, yellow, and small.

Distribution

Several species are found in North Africa, L. doderoi and L. revelierei in Corsica and Sardinia, L. havilandi and L. butteli in the Malay Peninsula, L. santschii in Java. L. swani and L. voldemort are the only two Australian species that have been described.

Species