Biology:Myrmicinae

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Short description: Subfamily of ants with cosmopolitan distribution whose pupae do not create cocoons

Myrmicinae
Temporal range: Turonian–Recent
Atta cephalotes-pjt.jpg
Atta cephalotes
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835
Type genus
Myrmica
Latreiile, 1804
Diversity[1]
142 genera

Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants, with about 140 extant genera;[1] their distribution is cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes. The nests are permanent and in soil, rotting wood, under stones, or in trees.[2]

Identification

Myrmicine worker ants have a distinct postpetiole, i.e., abdominal segment III is notably smaller than segment IV and set off from it by a well-developed constriction; the pronotum is inflexibly fused to the rest of the mesosoma, such that the promesonotal suture is weakly impressed or absent, and a functional sting is usually present. The clypeus is well-developed; as a result, the antennal sockets are well separated from the anterior margin of the head. Most myrmicine genera possess well-developed eyes and frontal lobes that partly conceal the antennal insertions.[3]

Tribes

Recently, the number of tribes was reduced from 25 to six:[4]

Genera

In 2014, most genera were placed into different tribes or moved to other subfamilies. Below is an updated list:[1][4]


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bolton, B. (2014). "Myrmicinae". AntCat. http://antcat.org/catalog/429529. 
  2. Goulet, H & Huber, JT (eds.) (1993) Hymenoptera of the world: an identification guide to families. Agriculture Canada. p. 224
  3. "Subfamily: Myrmicinae". AntWeb. http://www.antweb.org/description.do?name=myrmicinae&rank=subfamily&project=allantwebants. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Ward, Philip S.; Brady, Sean G.; Fisher, Brian L.; Schultz, Ted R. (July 2014). "The evolution of myrmicine ants: phylogeny and biogeography of a hyperdiverse ant clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Systematic Entomology 40 (1): 61–81. doi:10.1111/syen.12090. ISSN 1365-3113. http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/2tc8r8w8. 

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q1060265 entry