Myrmeciinae
Bulldog ants, etc.
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close boxCharacteristics
Myrmeciinae was redefined by Ward and Brady (2003) to include Prionomyrmex and the newly revived genus Nothomyrmecia. They gave the following apomorphies of the subfamily (states for some of these characters are still unknown in fossil taxa), reiterated by Bolton (2003):- Mandibles multidentate and elongate
- Eyes large, oval and conspicuously protruding from the surface of the head
- Male scapes very short and stocky
- Male mesepisternum lacking a distinct posterior oblique sulcus, with at most a weak furrow present
- Metapleural gland opening overhung by flange and separated from ventral margin of metapleuron by a distance greater than the diameter of the opening
- Third abdominal segment substantially smaller than fourth abdominal segment
- Sting bulb gland present
- Paramere divided by oblique longitudinal suture
- Aedeagus with posteroventral projection, armed at the apex with stout teeth or spines
References
Baroni Urbani, C. 2000. Rediscovery of the Baltic amber ant genus Prionomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and its taxonomic consequences. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae 93: 471-480.
Billen, J. P. J. 1988. Comparaison entre les fourmis australiennes des genres Myrmecia et Nothomyrmecia. Actes des Colloques Insectes Sociaux 4: 27-33. [French]
Bolton, B. 1994. Identification Guide to the Ant Genera of the World. 222 pp. Cambridge, Mass.
Bolton, B. 1995. A New General Catalog of the Ants of the World. 504 pp. Cambridge, Mass.
Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. 370 pp. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, Vol. 71. Gainesville, FL.
Dlussky, G. M. and K. S. Perfilieva. 2003. Paleogene ants of the genus Archimyrmex Cockerell, 1923. Paleontological Journal 37: 39-47.
Hölldobler, B. and E. O. Wilson. 1990. The Ants. 732 pp. Harvard University Press.
Ogata, K. 1991. Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a review of the species groups and their phylogenetic relationships. Systematic Entomology 16: 353-381.
Ogata, K. and R. W. Taylor. 1991. Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a preliminary review and key to the named species. Journal of Natural History 25: 1623-1673.
Taylor, R. W. 1978. Nothomyrmecia macrops: a living-fossil ant rediscovered. Science 201: 979-985.
Ward, P. S. and S. G. Brady. 2003. Phylogeny and biogeography of the ant subfamily Myrmeciinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Invertebrate Systematics 17: 361-386.
Wheeler, G. C. & Wheeler, J. 1976. Ant larvae: review and synthesis. Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Washington 74: 1-108.
Title Illustrations
| Scientific Name | Myrmecia desertorum |
|---|---|
| Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
| Source | On stage! |
| Source Collection | Flickr |
| Image Use |
 This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 2.0.
|
| Copyright | © 2006 Pierre Pouliquin |
| Scientific Name | Myrmecia croslandi |
|---|---|
| Location | Canberra, ACT, Australia |
| Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
| Identified By | Ajay Narendra |
| Sex | Female |
| Copyright |
© 2006 Ajay Narendra
|
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Myrmeciinae. Bulldog ants, etc..
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- First online 20 March 2004
Citing this page:
Tree of Life Web Project. 2004. Myrmeciinae. Bulldog ants, etc.. Version 20 March 2004 (temporary). http://tolweb.org/Myrmeciinae/22204/2004.03.20 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
