Haidomyrmecinae

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Haidomyrmecinae
Temporal range: Late Albian - Campanian 100–79  Ma
Dhagnathos autokrator FANTWEB00028 profile.jpg
Dhagnathos autokrator
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Haidomyrmecinae
Bolton, 2003
Type genus
Haidomyrmex
Genera

See text

Synonyms
  • Haidomyrmecini

Haidomyrmecinae, occasionally called hell ants, are an extinct subfamily of ants (Formicidae) known from Cretaceous fossils found in ambers of North America, Europe, and Asia, spanning the late Albian to Campanian, around 100 to 79 million years ago. The subfamily was first proposed in 2003, but had been subsequently treated as the tribe Haidomyrmecini and placed in the extinct ant subfamily Sphecomyrminae. Reevaluation of the Haidomyrmecini in 2020 lead to the elevation of the group back to subfamily. The family contains the nine genera and 13 species. [1]

Contents

Members of this family are highly distinct from all other ants, having diverse head ornamentation, and unusually shaped, extended mandibles that articulated vertically rather than horizontally as in modern ants. The jaws in combination with the head ornamentation served to restrain prey, with most species having setae (hair-like structures) covering parts of the head, which likely functioned as triggers to rapidly close the jaw when disturbed, similar to those of modern trap-jaw ants. Fossils indicate that haidomyrmecines were able to take prey solitarily. [2] Like modern ants, they were eusocial, with distinct worker and queen castes, [2] likely with relatively small colony sizes. [3] Due to their lack of metabolic stores, it is likely that the queens engaged in hunting during the initial foundation of the nest. [4] Haidomymecines are thought to be amongst the most basal and earliest diverging group of ants known. [1]

Genera

Aquilomyrmex huangi Aquilomyrmex huangi FANTWEB00036 dorsal.jpg
Aquilomyrmex huangi
Haidomyrmex zigrasi Haidomyrmex zigrasi JZ01 01.jpg
Haidomyrmex zigrasi

Including the type genus Haidomyrmex , the subfamily contains 10 genera and 14 species.

The vast majority of species are known from Burmese amber, which dates to the mid-Cretaceous, around 100 million years ago. Other species are known from French amber of equivalent age, as well as the Canadian amber of Alberta, Canada, which dates to around 80 million years ago.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sphecomyrminae</span> Extinct subfamily of ants

Sphecomyrminae is an extinct subfamily of ants in family Formicidae known from a series of Cretaceous fossils found in North America, Europe, and Asia. Sphecomyrminae contains eight genera, divided into two tribes Sphecomyrmini and Zigrasimeciini. The tribe Sphecomyrmini contains the six genera Armania, Cretomyrma, Gerontoformica, Orapia, Pseudarmania and Sphecomyrma; while Zigrasimeciini contains Boltonimecia and Zigrasimecia. A number of taxa have been removed from the subfamily and placed either in other subfamilies or are now treated as incertae sedis in Formicidae.

<i>Zigrasimecia</i> Extinct genus of ants

Zigrasimecia is an extinct genus of ants which existed in the Cretaceous period approximately 98 million years ago. The first specimens were collected from Burmese amber in Kachin State, 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Myitkyina town in Myanmar. In 2013, palaeoentomologists Phillip Barden and David Grimaldi published a paper describing and naming Zigrasimecia tonsora. They described a dealate female with unusual features, notably the highly specialized mandibles. Other features include large ocelli, short scapes, 12 antennomeres, small eyes, and a clypeal margin that has a row of peg-like denticles. The genus Zigrasimecia was originally incertae sedis within Formicidae until a second species, Zigrasimecia ferox, was described in 2014, leading to its placement in the subfamily Sphecomyrminae. Later, it was considered to belong to the distinct subfamily Zigrasimeciinae.

<i>Haidomyrmodes</i> Extinct genus of ants

Haidomyrmodes is an extinct genus of ant in the formicid subfamily Haidomyrmecinae, and is one of only nine genera placed in the subfamily Haidomyrmecinae. The genus contains a single described species, Haidomyrmodes mammuthus. Haidomyrmodes is known from several Middle Cretaceous fossils which have been found in Europe.

<i>Haidoterminus</i> Extinct genus of ants

Haidoterminus is an extinct genus of ant in the Formicidae subfamily Haidomyrmecinae, and is one of only nine genera placed in this subfamily. The genus contains a single described species Haidoterminus cippus and is known from one Late Cretaceous fossil which has been found in North America.

<i>Haidomyrmex</i> Extinct genus of ants

Haidomyrmex is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Haidomyrmecinae, and is one of nine genera placed in the subfamily Haidomyrmecinae. The genus contains three described species Haidomyrmex cerberus, Haidomyrmex scimitarus, and Haidomyrmex zigrasi. All three are known from single Late Cretaceous fossils which have been found in Asia. H. cerberus is the type species and Haidomyrmex the type genus for the subfamily Haidomyrmecinae.

<i>Burmomyrma</i> Genus of ants

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Armaniinae is subfamily of extinct ant-like hymenopterans known from a series of Cretaceous fossils found in Asia and Africa. It is usually treated as one of the stem-group subfamilies in family Formicidae, although some myrmecologists treat it as a distinct family. A 2007 study analysing petiole and antenna morphology led to the proposal that at least some of the armaniid genera be placed in Sphecomyrminae, although others are unconvinced by the arguments and retain Armaniinae. The subfamily contains seven genera with fourteen described species.

<i>Myanmyrma</i> Extinct genus of ants

Myanmyrma is an extinct genus of ants not placed into any Formicidae subfamily. Fossils of the single known species, Myanmyrma gracilis, are known from the Middle Cretaceous of Asia. The genus is one of several ants described from Middle Cretaceous ambers of Myanmar.

Cananeuretus is an extinct genus of ant in the Formicidae subfamily Aneuretinae, and is one of two Cretaceous genera of the subfamily. The genus contains a single described species Cananeuretus occidentalis and is known from one Late Cretaceous fossil which has been found in North America.

<i>Gerontoformica</i> Extinct genus of ants

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<i>Camelomecia</i> Extinct genus of ants

Camelomecia is an extinct genus of stem-group ants not placed into any Formicidae subfamily. Fossils of the single known species, Camelomecia janovitzi, are known from the Middle Cretaceous of Asia. The genus is one of several ants described from Middle Cretaceous ambers of Myanmar.

<i>Ceratomyrmex</i> Extinct genus of ants

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<i>Linguamyrmex</i> Extinct genus of ants

Linguamyrmex is an extinct genus of ant in the formicid subfamily Haidomyrmecinae, and is one of only nine genera placed in the subfamily Haidomyrmecinae. The genus contains three described species, Linguamyrmex brevicornis, Linguamyrmex rhinocerus, and the type species Linguamyrmex vladi all known from Late Cretaceous fossils found in Asia.

<i>Boltonimecia</i> Extinct genus of ants

Boltonimecia is an extinct genus of ant in the formicid subfamily Zigrasimeciinae. The genus contains a single described species, Boltonimecia canadensis, and is known from a single Late Cretaceous fossil which was found in Canada. The type species was originally described as a species of the extinct genus Sphecomyrma under the combination Sphecomyrma canadensis.

2015 in paleoentomology is a list of new fossil insect taxa that were described during the year 2016, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleoentomology that were scheduled to occur during the year.

Jouault, Corentin; Rosse-Guillevic, Simon. "A new genus of praeaulacid wasp from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar)". Annales de Paléontologie. 109 (1): 102599. doi:10.1016/j.annpal.2023.102599.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zigrasimeciinae</span> Extinct subfamily of ants

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This paleoentomology list records new fossil insect taxa that were described during the year 2014, as well as notes other significant paleoentomology discoveries and events which occurred during that year.

References

  1. 1 2 Perrichot, V.; Wang, B.; Barden, P. (2020). "New remarkable hell ants (Formicidae: Haidomyrmecinae stat. nov.) from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar" (PDF). Cretaceous Research. 109: 104381. Bibcode:2020CrRes.10904381P. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104381 .
  2. 1 2 Barden, Phillip; Perrichot, Vincent; Wang, Bo (October 2020). "Specialized Predation Drives Aberrant Morphological Integration and Diversity in the Earliest Ants". Current Biology. 30 (19): 3818–3824.e4. Bibcode:2020CBio...30E3818B. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.106 . PMID   32763171.
  3. Perrichot, Vincent; Wang, Bo; Engel, Michael S. (June 2016). "Extreme Morphogenesis and Ecological Specialization among Cretaceous Basal Ants". Current Biology. 26 (11): 1468–1472. Bibcode:2016CBio...26.1468P. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.03.075 . PMID   27238278.
  4. Barden, Phillip; Grimaldi, David A. (February 2016). "Adaptive Radiation in Socially Advanced Stem-Group Ants from the Cretaceous". Current Biology. 26 (4): 515–521. Bibcode:2016CBio...26..515B. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.12.060 . PMID   26877084.