Formicinae

Taxobox

---

image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Formica rufa" worker
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Hymenoptera
familia = Formicidae
subfamilia = Formicinae
subfamilia_authority = Lepeletier, 1836
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = See text.

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.

Classification

The tribal structure of Formicinae is not completely understood. This list follows the scheme at [http://antbase.org/ 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" – Wood ants
**"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"
**"Paratrechina" – Crazy ants
**"Petalomyrmex"
**"Plagiolepis"
**"Pseudaphomomyrmex"
**"Pseudolasius"
**"Tapinolepis"
*"Incertae sedis"
**"Eucharis"
**"Imhoffia"
**"Kyromyrma" (fossil: Cretaceous)
**"Leucotaphus"
**"Protrechina"
**"Tylolasius"

References

* B. Bolton, "A new general catalogue of the ants of the world", Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1995.

External links

* [http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu:210/hymenoptera/nomenclator.name_entry?text_entry=formicinae&Submit=Submit+Query Formicinae] at [http://antbase.org/ antbase.org]
* Kye S. Hedlund, [http://www.cs.unc.edu/~hedlund/ants/SubfamilyPages/Formicinae-print Subfamily Formicinae]