Amblyoponinae is a subfamily of ants in the poneromorph subfamilies group containing 13 extant genera and one extinct genus. The ants in this subfamily are mostly specialized subterranean predators.[1] Adult workers pierce the integument (non lethally) of their larvae and pupa to imbibe haemolymph, earning them the common name Dracula ant.[2]
Amblyoponinae Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Adetomyrma venatrix worker | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Amblyoponinae Forel, 1893 |
Tribe: | Amblyoponini Forel, 1893 |
Type genus | |
Amblyopone Erichson, 1842
| |
Genera | |
9 extant genera; 1 fossil genus[1] |
Identification
editAmblyoponinae is characterized by these worker characters: eyes small or absent, situated behind midlength of side of head; anterior margin of clypeus with specialized dentiform setae; promesonotal suture flexible; petiole very broadly attached to abdominal segment 3 and without a distinct posterior face; postpetiole absent; sting present and well developed.[1]
Systematics
editThe subfamily was formerly considered a tribe within Ponerinae, but was elevated to its own subfamily in 2003 when Barry Bolton divided Ponerinae into six subfamilies.[3]
- Amblyoponinae Forel, 1893
- Amblyoponini Forel, 1893
- Adetomyrma Ward, 1994
- Amblyopone Erichson, 1842
- †Casaleia Pagliano & Scaramozzino, 1990
- Fulakora Mann, 1919
- Myopopone Roger, 1861
- Mystrium Roger, 1862
- Onychomyrmex Emery, 1895
- Prionopelta Mayr, 1866
- Stigmatomma Roger, 1859
- Xymmer Santschi, 1914
- Amblyoponini Forel, 1893
References
edit- ^ a b c "Subfamily: Amblyoponinae". antweb.org. AntWeb. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ WARD, PHILIP S.; FISHER, BRIAN L. (2 June 2016). "Tales of dracula ants: the evolutionary history of the ant subfamily Amblyoponinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Systematic Entomology. 41 (3): 683–693. Bibcode:2016SysEn..41..683W. doi:10.1111/syen.12186. ISSN 0307-6970. S2CID 51820029.
- ^ Fisher, Brian L.; Cover, Stefan P. (2007). Ants of North America: A Guide to the Genera. University of California Press. pp. 57–58. ISBN 978-0-520-93455-9.
- This article incorporates text from a scholarly publication published under a copyright license that allows anyone to reuse, revise, remix and redistribute the materials in any form for any purpose: Bolton, B. (2013), "An online catalog of the ants of the world.", AntCat, retrieved 22 September 2013 Please check the source for the exact licensing terms.
External links
edit- Media related to Amblyoponinae at Wikimedia Commons