ASIAN MYRMECOLOGY Volume 5, 11–19, 2013 ISSN 1985-1944 © Himender BHarti and aijaz aHmad WacHkoo INTRODUCTION The genus Leptogenys Roger currently includes 216 extant species, 31 subspecies and one fossil species, distributed pantropically (Bolton et al. 2007; Bolton 2012). It forms the most speciose genus within the subfamily Ponerinae. While Leptogenys awaits a global taxonomic revision, noteworthy contributions include the revisionary work of Bolton (1975) for the African region and Lattke (2011) for New World species. From Southeast Asia, important contributions include Wu & Wang (1995), Xu (2000), Zhou (2001) and Terayama (2009). In India the present study follows Bingham (1903), Donisthorpe (1943) and Mathew & Tiwari (2000). Here we present descriptions of two new species, Leptogenys transitionis sp. nov. and Leptogenys lattkei sp. nov., collected in the foothills of the Northwest Himalayas, in the Shivalik range. Prior to this the genus Leptogenys was represented by 29 species/subspecies from India (Bharti 2011). The taxonomy of Leptogenys from India remains chaotic, although an attempt has been made here to give a summary of current understanding by providing a preliminary key. From Southeast Asia about 100 species of Leptogenys are reported up to now (Bolton 2012). Since most collection to date has been conducted in a small number of locations, it is likely that many more species of Leptogenys await discovery in the region. Considering that six ant genera (in northwest Shivalik range and the Western Ghats) and about 70 new species (from the Northwest Himalayas) have been recently discovered in India (Bharti & Wachkoo 2012a, b, c; Bharti & Akbar in prep.; Bharti et al. in prep.) and that most areas of the vast Indian territory are unexplored for ants, perhaps half of the Leptogenys in India are still to be discovered. Ants of this genus generally reproduce by ergatogynes or gamergates (Ito 1997; Ito & Ohkawara 2000; Peeters 2012). Ergatogynes may or may not possess one to three ocelli, but generally show differences in petiolar width and shape and an enlarged gaster as compared with workers. The petiolar node, when seen dorsally, is generally wider than long, and the propodeal margin is more convex when observed laterally than in the worker. Some species have ergatogynes Two new species of the ant genus Leptogenys (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from India, with description of a plesiomorphic ergatogyne Himender BHarti 1 and aijaz aHmad WacHkoo Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab – 147002, India Corresponding author’s email: 1 himenderbharti@gmail.com ABSTRACT. Two new species of Leptogenys based on the worker caste are described under the names Leptogenys lattkei sp. nov. and Leptogenys transitionis sp. nov. The ergatogyne of Leptogenys transitionis also reported here is the irst of its kind in Leptogenys, characterised by a highly enlarged gaster, three prominent ocelli and the absence of wing sclerites. The ergatogyne of L. transitionis is intermediate between that of L. ergatogyna, with well- developed wing-base sclerites and ocelli, and the more usual ergatoid condition characterised by degenerate ocelli. Keywords: ergatogyne, Ponerinae, key, new species, Himalaya.