Overview
Formicinae is a subfamily within the Formicidae containing ants of moderate evolutionary development.
Formicines retain some primitive features such as the presence of cocoons around pupae, the presence of ocelli in workers, and little tendency toward reduction of palp or antennal segmentation in most species, except groups. Extreme modification of mandibles is rare, except in the genera Myrmoteras and Polyergus. On the other hand, some members show considerable evolutionary advancement in behaviors such as slave-making and symbiosis with root-feeding homopterans. Finally, all formicines have a very reduced sting and enlarged venom reservoir, with the venom gland, specialized (uniquely among ants) for the production of formic acid.[]
All members of the Formicinae "have a one-segmented petiole in the form of a vertical scale".[1]
Classification
The tribal structure of Formicinae is not completely understood. This list follows the scheme at antbase.org, but there are other schemes and names.
- Camponotini
- Calomyrmex
- Camponotus ? Carpenter ants (Global)
- Chaemeromyrma
- Echinopla
- Forelophilus
- Opisthopsis
- Overbeckia
- Phasmomyrmex
- Polyrhachis (Asian, African tropics)
- Pseudocamponotus
- Formicini
- Alloformica
- Bajcaridris
- Cataglyphis
- Formica
- Polyergus ? Amazon ants
- Proformica
- Protoformica
- Rossomyrmex
- Gesomyrmecini
- Gesomyrmex
- Prodimorphomyrmex
- Santschiella
- Sicilomyrmex
- Gigantopini
- Gigantiops (Neotropical)
- Lasiini
- Acanthomyops
- Acropyga
- Anoplolepis
- Cladomyrma
- Lasiophanes
- Lasius
- Myrmecocystus
- Prolasius
- Stigmacros
- Teratomyrmex
- Melophorini
- Melophorus (Australian)
- Myrmecorhynchini
- Myrmecorhynchus
- Notoncus
- Pseudonotoncus
- Myrmoteranini
- Myrmoteras
- Notostigmatini
- Notostigma
- Oecophyllini
- Oecophylla ? Weaver ants
- Plagiolepidini
- Agraulomyrmex
- Aphomomyrmex
- Brachymyrmex
- Bregmatomyrma
- Euprenolepsis
- Myrmelachista
- Nylanderia
- Paraparatrechina
- Paratrechina ? Crazy ants
- Petalomyrmex
- Plagiolepis
- Pseudaphomomyrmex
- Pseudolasius
- Tapinolepis
- Incertae sedis
- Eucharis
- Imhoffia
- Kyromyrma (fossil: Cretaceous)
- Leucotaphus
- Protrechina
- Tylolasius
All members of the Formicinae "have a one-segmented petiole in the form of a vertical scale".[1]
Classification
The tribal structure of Formicinae is not completely understood. This list follows the scheme at antbase.org, but there are other schemes and names.
- Camponotini
- Calomyrmex
- Camponotus ? Carpenter ants (Global)
- Chaemeromyrma
- Echinopla
- Forelophilus
- Opisthopsis
- Overbeckia
- Phasmomyrmex
- Polyrhachis (Asian, African tropics)
- Pseudocamponotus
- Formicini
- Alloformica
- Bajcaridris
- Cataglyphis
- Formica
- Polyergus ? Amazon ants
- Proformica
- Protoformica
- Rossomyrmex
- Gesomyrmecini
- Gesomyrmex
- Prodimorphomyrmex
- Santschiella
- Sicilomyrmex
- Gigantopini
- Gigantiops (Neotropical)
- Lasiini
- Acanthomyops
- Acropyga
- Anoplolepis
- Cladomyrma
- Lasiophanes
- Lasius
- Myrmecocystus
- Prolasius
- Stigmacros
- Teratomyrmex
- Melophorini
- Melophorus (Australian)
- Myrmecorhynchini
- Myrmecorhynchus
- Notoncus
- Pseudonotoncus
- Myrmoteranini
- Myrmoteras
- Notostigmatini
- Notostigma
- Oecophyllini
- Oecophylla ? Weaver ants
- Plagiolepidini
- Agraulomyrmex
- Aphomomyrmex
- Brachymyrmex
- Bregmatomyrma
- Euprenolepsis
- Myrmelachista
- Nylanderia
- Paraparatrechina
- Paratrechina ? Crazy ants
- Petalomyrmex
- Plagiolepis
- Pseudaphomomyrmex
- Pseudolasius
- Tapinolepis
- Incertae sedis
- Eucharis
- Imhoffia
- Kyromyrma (fossil: Cretaceous)
- Leucotaphus
- Protrechina
- Tylolasius
References
Notes
Bibliography
- B. Bolton, A new general catalogue of the ants of the world, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1995.
- Klotz, John H. (2008). "Formicinae". Urban ants of North America and Europ e: identification, biology, and management. Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801474736. http://books.google.com/books?id=Q7T4gg6j7xUC&pg=PA11.
External links
- Formicinae at antbase.org
- Kye S. Hedlund, Subfamily Formicinae
Taxonomy
The Subfamily Formicinae is a member of the Family Formicidae. Here is the complete "parentage" of Formicinae:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
Snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Class: Insecta
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Superorder: Hymenopterida
- Order: Hymenoptera
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Ants, Bees, and Wasps
- Suborder: Apocrita
- Ants, Bees
- Superfamily: Vespoidea
- Family: Formicidae
Latreille, 1809 - ants, fourmis
- Subfamily: Formicinae
- Family: Formicidae
Latreille, 1809 - ants, fourmis
- Superfamily: Vespoidea
- Suborder: Apocrita
- Ants, Bees
- Order: Hymenoptera
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Ants, Bees, and Wasps
- Superorder: Hymenopterida
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Class: Insecta
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
Snodgrass, 1938
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Kingdom: Animalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
The Subfamily Formicinae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Tribe (11): Camponotini · Dimorphomyrmecini · Formicini · Gigantiopini · Lasiini · Melophorini · Myrmecorhynchini · Myrmoteratini · Notostigmatini · Oecophyllini · Plagiolepidini
- Genus (59): Acropyga · Agraulomyrmex · Alloformica · Anoplolepis · Aphomomyrmex · Bajcaridris · Brachymyrmex · Bregmatomyrma · Calomyrmex · Camponotites · Camponotus · Cataglyphis · Chimaeromyrma · Cladomyrma · Echinopla · Euprenolepis · Forelophilus · Gesomyrmex · Gigantiops · Glaphyromyrmex · Imhoffia · Kyromyrma · Lasiophanes · Lasius · Lepisiota · Leucotaphus · Melophorus · Myrmecocystus · Myrmecorhynchus · Myrmelachista · Myrmoteras · Notoncus · Notostigma · Oecophylla · Opisthopsis · Overbeckia · Paratrechina · Petalomyrmex · Phasmomyrmex · Plagiolepis · Polyergus · Polyrhachis · Prenolepis · Prodimorphomyrmex · Proformica · Prolasius · Protoformica · Protrechina · Pseudocamponotus · Pseudolasius · Pseudonotoncus · Raptiformica · Rossomyrmex · Santschiella · Serviformica · Sicilomyrmex · Stigmacros · Tapinolepis · Teratomyrmex
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 4,072 species and subspecies in the Subfamily Formicinae.
Genera
Acropyga
Acropyga is a genus of small formicine ants. [more]
Agraulomyrmex
Alloformica
Anoplolepis
Anoplolepis is a genus of ant in the family Formicidae. [more]
Aphomomyrmex
Bajcaridris
Brachymyrmex
Bregmatomyrma
Calomyrmex
Camponotites
Camponotus
Carpenter ants are large (.25 to 1 in/0.64 to 2.5 cm) ants indigenous to many parts of the world. They prefer dead, damp wood in which to build nests. They do not eat it, however, unlike termites. Sometimes carpenter ants will hollow out sections of trees. The most likely species to be infesting a house in the United States is the black carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus). However, there are over a thousand other species in the genus Camponotus. [more]
Cataglyphis
Cataglyphis is a genus of ant in the subfamily Formicinae. Its most famous species is C. bicolor, the Sahara Desert ant, which runs on hot sand to find insects that died of heat exhaustion, and can sustain body temperatures of up to 50?C. [more]
Chimaeromyrma
Cladomyrma
Echinopla
Euprenolepis
Forelophilus
Gesomyrmex
Gigantiops
Glaphyromyrmex
Imhoffia
Kyromyrma
Lasiophanes
Lasius
Lasius is a genus of boreal formicine ants. [more]
Lepisiota
Leucotaphus
Melophorus
Myrmecocystus
Myrmecorhynchus
Myrmelachista
Myrmoteras
Notoncus
Notostigma
Oecophylla
Weaver ants or Green ants (genus Oecophylla) are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae (order Hymenoptera). Weaver ants are obligately arboreal and are known for their unique nest building behaviour where workers construct nests by weaving together leaves using larval silk. Colonies can be extremely large consisting of more than a hundred nests spanning numerous trees and contain more than half a million workers. Like many other ant species, weaver ants prey on small insects and supplement their diet with carbohydrate-rich honeydew excreted by small insects (Hemiptera). Oecophylla workers exhibit a clear bimodal size distribution, with almost no overlap between the size of the minor and major workers. The major workers are approximately eight to ten millimeters in length and the minors approximately half the length of the majors. There is a division of labour associated with the size difference between workers. Major workers forage, defend, maintain and expand the colony whereas minor workers tend to stay within the nests where they care for the brood and 'milk' scale insects in or close to the nests. Oecophylla weaver ants vary in color from reddish to yellowish brown dependent on the species. Oecophylla smaragdina found in Australia often have bright green gasters. These ants are highly territorial and workers aggressively defend their territories against intruders. Because of their aggressive behaviour, weaver ants are sometime used by indigenous farmers, particularly in southeast Asia, as natural biocontrol agents against agricultural pests. Although Oecophylla weaver ants lack a functional sting they can inflict painful bites and often spray formic acid directly at the bite wound resulting in intense discomfort. [more]
Opisthopsis
Overbeckia
Paratrechina
Paratrechina is an ant genus from the subfamily Formicinae (Tribe Plagiolepidini). There are over 150 described species and subspecies, some of which occur on every continent (except Antarctica). They form large colonies in open soil or under rocks or other objects, or in rotten wood on the ground. [more]
Petalomyrmex
Phasmomyrmex
Plagiolepis
Plagiolepis is an genus of the formic acid-producing subfamily Formicinae. [more]
Polyergus
Polyergus, also called Amazon ants, is a small genus of 6 described species (and several possible undescribed species) of "" ants. Its workers are incapable of caring for brood, in part due to their dagger-like, piercing mandibles, but more importantly, because in the evolution of their parasitism, they have lost the "behavioral wiring" to carry out even rudimentary brood care, or even to feed themselves. Polyergus species subsist solely as a specialized brood-acquiring caste, maintaining a worker force by robbing brood of particular species in the closely related genus Formica in massive colony-to-colony raids. The captured ants are generally referred to as "slaves" in scientific and popular literature, though recent attempts have been made to apply other human cultural models, such as describing the Polyergus individuals of a colony as "raiders" or "pirates" and the Formica workers as "helper-ants", or "domesticated animals". Biologists describe the system simply as social parsitism by Polyergus on the host Formica species. [more]
Polyrhachis
Prenolepis
Prodimorphomyrmex
Proformica
Prolasius
Protoformica
Protrechina
Pseudocamponotus
Pseudolasius
Pseudonotoncus
Raptiformica
Rossomyrmex
Santschiella
Serviformica
Sicilomyrmex
Stigmacros
Tapinolepis
Teratomyrmex
More info about the Genus Teratomyrmex may be found here.
References
Notes
Sources
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