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Aphaenogaster

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Genus of ants

Aphaenogaster
Temporal range: Lutetian - recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
A. swammerdami worker
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Stenammini
Genus: Aphaenogaster
Mayr, 1853
Type species
Aphaenogaster sardoa
Mayr, 1853
Diversity
200 species
Synonyms
  • Deromyrma Forel, 1913
  • Nystalomyrma Wheeler, 1916

Aphaenogaster is a genus of myrmicine ants in the tribe Stenammini. About 200 species have been described, including 18 fossil species. They occur worldwide except in South America south of Colombia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Antarctica.

Aphaenogaster colonies have monomorphic workers. They have four-segmented antennal clubs and 12-segmented antennae.

In Australia, they often build dense, conspicuous nests. Nest entrances are generally funnel-shaped with diameters up to 4 cm, which resulted in the common name funnel ants. These nests can be a serious problem for golfers or on pastures and unsealed airstrips, because the fragile surface easily collapses under pressure. Where it occurs, Aphaenogaster bioturbation is an important soil and landscape process.

Aphaenogaster ants probably get most of their food from tended aphids on the roots of plants, which explains that they are rarely seen on the surface. The funnel-shaped openings could play a role in trapping arthropods, which are also eaten.

Species

Aphaenogaster dlusskyana worker in amber
Aphaenogaster gonacantha worker
A. lepida worker and male

References

  1. ^ Bolton, B. (2014). "Aphaenogaster". AntCat. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  2. ^ Radchenko, A. G.; Perkovsky, E. E. (2016). "The ant Aphaenogaster dlusskyana sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Sakhalin amber—the earliest described species of an extant genus of Myrmicinae". Paleontological Journal. 50 (9): 936–946. Bibcode:2016PalJ...50..936R. doi:10.1134/S0031030116090136. S2CID 90471180.
  3. ^ Genus Aphaenogaster Archived October 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Richards, P.J. (2009) Aphaenogaster ants as bioturbators: impacts on soil and slope processes. Earth-Science Reviews 96: 92-106.
  5. ^ De Andrade, M. L. (1995). "The ant genus Aphaenogaster in Dominican and Mexican amber (Amber Collection Stuttgart: Hymenoptera, Formicidae. IX: Pheidolini)". Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie). 223: 1–11.
  6. Fujiyama, I. (1970). "Fossil insects from the Chojabaru Formation, Iki Island, Japan". Memoirs of the Natural Science Museum, Tokyo. 3: 65–74.
  7. ^ Carpenter, F. M. (1930). "The fossil ants of North America" (PDF). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 70: 1–66.
  8. Scudder, S. H. (1890). "The Tertiary insects of North America". United States Geological Survey of the Territories, Washington: 615. ISBN 9780665263149.

External links

Taxon identifiers
Aphaenogaster
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