First record of Leptogenys hysterica Forel, 1900 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) from Pakistan

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The ant genus Leptogenys Roger, 1861 belongs to the subfamily Ponerinae and is considered to be one of the most speciose genera throughout tropical and subtropical regions with 308 species, 25 subspecies, and one fossil record (AntWeb 2018).These ants commonly reproduce by ergatogynes or gamergates (Ito 1997;Ito & Ohkawara 2000;Peeters 2012;Bharti & Wachkoo 2013).Individuals of this genus prefer rotten or dead wood, leaf litter, and surfaces under stones as habitats; a few species are also considered subarboreal (Bolton 1975;Rakotonirina & Fisher 2014).These ants mainly predate on termites and terrestrial isopods (Bolton 1975;Lattke 2011).
Significant contributions to the knowledge of this genus from southeastern Asia include Wu & Wang (1995), Xu (2000), Zhou (2001), Terayama (2009), andArimoto (2017).Bharti & Wachkoo (2013) provided keys to the Leptogenys in India with descriptions of two new species.Xu & He (2015) reviewed the Oriental species of this genus, provided an identification key to the ant fauna in China, and described and added two new records to the country.Other noteworthy studies include that of Bolton (1975) and Lattke (2011), which remarkably contributed to the species of Leptogenys in the Afrotropical region and the New World, respectively.
Very limited work on the exploration of ants in Pakistan was undertaken till date (Umair et al. 2012;Bodlah et al. 2016;Bodlah et al. 2017a,b).Twenty-seven species of Leptogenys were recorded from India, one of its neighbouring countries (Bharti & Wachkoo 2013).
Here we report Leptogenys hysterica for the first time from the country with diagnostic note and illustrations.

Materials and Methods
As a result of extensive surveys during 2016-2017, workers of the genus Leptogenys were collected from different forest areas of Margalla Hills in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Pakistan.Specimens of this species were found under rocks near leaf litter and were hand collected.The collected specimens were placed in potassium cyanide killing jars.A few specimens were also preserved in 75% ethanol.Taxonomic analysis of the collected specimens was performed under Labomed microscope using keys by Bharti & Wachkoo (2013).Identifications were made by observing the metanotal groove, the width and length of the petiolar node, and comparison of the mesosomal length with the 13033 abdominal length.
Images were prepared by a digital camera (Nikon DS-Fi3) attached with a Nikon 1500 SMZ stereo microscope and cleaned using Adobe Photoshop CS6 software.Measurements (in millimeters) and indices were calculated with the help of a stage and ocular micrometer.Identified specimens were tagged with the valid names, localities, dates of collection, and microhabitats.After taxonomic treatment, the specimens were deposited in the Department of Entomology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Morphometric terminology (in millimeters) and indices are given as: HL -In full face view, the maximum length of head from clypeus to vertex in a straight line; HW -Maximum width of the head in frontal view; SL -Total length of scape without the neck; EL -Maximum eye length; EW -Maximum width of eye in oblique view; PW -Maximum pronotal width in dorsal view; WL -Maximum length of mesosoma from anterior to posterior margin of pronotum except for collar in lateral view; PL -Maximum length of petiole from anterior to the posterior margin of tergite; PH -Maximum height of petiole from apex to the dorsal point in lateral view; PDW -Maximum width of node in dorsal view; GL -Maximum abdominal length; CI -Cephalic index = HW/ HL×100; OI -Ocular index = EL/HW×100; SI -Scape index = SL/HW×100; LPI -Lateral petiole index = PH/PL×100; DPI -Dorsal petiole index = PDW/PL×100
Worker description: Head densely punctate, rectangular in full face view, likewise narrowed anteriorly and posteriorly, posterior and lateral margin convex, carinate medially, exceeding nearly the level of eyes; eyes convex, placed laterally just below the cephalic mid length; frontal grove narrow hardly touching the level of eyes; clypeus triangular, medial clypeal lobe rounded, apex bluntly rounded with minute setae, strongly carinate at middle, thin and translucent, anterior and lateral margin longitudinally carinate; mandible long, narrow at anterior, thicker at apex, carinate longitudinally in lateral view, basal tooth absent, apical tooth present, masticatory margin without teeth, smooth; scape exceeding the lateral cephalic margin.
Posterior petiolar margin slightly wider than anterior petiolar margin, longer in length than width, forming smooth convexity.
Gaster's length more than weber's length (Image 8); basal tergite shining and densely punctate; base of second tergite cross-ribbed, remaining tergite after basal tergite smooth and shiny.
Differential diagnosis: Leptogenys hysterica most resembles L. punctiventris (Mayr, 1879) from which it can be distinguished by its distinct metanotal groove (Image 4) and broader than long petiole in dorsal view (Image 7).The DPI in L. hysterica is 68.00-108.00mm while in L. punctiventris the metanotal groove is obsolete with longer than wide petiolar node and DPI < 90.00mm.
Ecology: Members of the genus Leptogenys prefer to make their nests in the soil or under stone surfaces, logs of trees, tree bark, dead wood, and leaf litter in mountainous areas having humid forests (Bolton 1975;Lattke 2011;Bharti & Wachko 2013).We found L. hysterica nesting in loose soil on a stone embankment