| Allomerus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A. decemarticulatus worker | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
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| Tribe: | |
| Genus: | Allomerus Mayr, 1878 |
| Type species | |
| Allomerus decemarticulatus Mayr, 1878 | |
| Diversity [1] | |
| 8 species | |
Allomerus is a Neotropical genus of small ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. [2] Its eight species are known from the forests of South America, where they live in plant cavities and structures. [3]
Table of known ant–host relations: [3]
| Ant | Plant |
|---|---|
| A. brevipilosus | Gleasonia nauensis |
| A. decemarticulatus | Duroia sp. (probably), Gleasonia nauensis, Hirtella sp., Hirtella physophora , Tococa sp. (probably) |
| A. dentatus | Tococa hirta |
| A. maietae | Maieta neblinensis |
| A. octoarticulatus | Remijia physophora , Tococa sp. |
| A. septemarticulatus | Duroia saccifera |
| A. vogeli | Myrmidone macrosperma |
| A. undecemarticulatus | Tococa pachystachya |
Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants, with about 140 extant genera; their distribution is cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes. The nests are permanent and in soil, rotting wood, under stones, or in trees.
Allomerus decemarticulatus is an Amazonian ant species found in the tropics of South America. This species is most notable for the workers’ complex and extreme predatory behavior, which involves a symbiosis with both a plant and fungal species. They live in leaf pockets of a host plant species, Hirtella physophora. These leaf pockets are areas inside of the plant between the leaves and the stem. Each colony, which consists of about 1,200 workers, inhabits a single tree; however, the ants are spread among the leaf pockets, with typically 40 workers per pocket. Their diet primarily consists of large insects that are captured on the plant, but they also eat some kinds of food bodies produced by the plant as well as its nectar. They are able to capture their prey, which is much larger than themselves, by constructing a platform that acts as a trap for the unsuspecting prey. The ants hide in the trap and attack when any insect lands on it. This technique is an example of ambush predation.
Pogonomyrmex is a genus of harvester ants, occurring primarily in the deserts of North, Central, and South America, with a single endemic species from Haiti.
Dolichoderinae is a subfamily of ants, which includes species such as the Argentine ant, the erratic ant, the odorous house ant, and the cone ant. The subfamily presents a great diversity of species throughout the world, distributed in different biogeographic realms, from the Palearctic, Nearctic, Afrotropical region and Malaysia, to the Middle East, Australian, and Neotropical regions.
Monomorium bidentatum is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is endemic to two South American countries, Chile and Argentina.
Crematogaster is an ecologically diverse genus of ants found worldwide, which are characterised by a distinctive heart-shaped gaster (abdomen), which gives them one of their common names, the Saint Valentine ant. Members of this genus are also known as cocktail ants because of their habit of raising their abdomens when alarmed. Most species are arboreal. These ants are sometimes known as acrobat ants.
Monomorium is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. As of 2013 it contains about 396 species. It is distributed around the world, with many species native to the Old World tropics. It is considered to be "one of the more important groups of ants," considering its widespread distribution, its diversity, and its variety of morphological and biological characteristics. It also includes several familiar pest species, such as the pharaoh ant and the flower ant.
Monomorium denticulatum is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It known from Chile and Argentina. Like M. bidentatum it was first described from Valdivia, Chile.
Acanthognathus is a genus of ants that are found in tropical Central and South America. There are 7 living species and 1 extinct species, Acanthognathus poinari, known only from fossil records.
Anochetus is a genus of small, carnivorous ants found in the tropics and subtropics throughout the world.
Diaphoromyrma is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It contains the single species Diaphoromyrma sofiae, known only from workers from the type locality in Bahia, Brazil. The genus is apparently close to Allomerus and Diplomorium in the Solenopsidini, but its tribal attribution remains uncertain.
Linepithema is a genus of small ants in the subfamily Dolichoderinae.
Gnamptogenys is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ectatomminae. The genus has a wide distribution. It is known to occur in the Nearctic, Neotropic, Indomalayan and Australasian realms.
Ectatomma is a Neotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Ectatomminae. The genus contains 17 described extant species and one extinct species.
Sphinctomyrmex is a genus of ants in the subfamily Dorylinae. The genus is a pantropical and distinctive group, originally described by Mayr based on a single gyne collected in Brazil. Morphologically, the genus is characterized by the unique arrangement of the gastric segments, which are nearly equal in length and separated from each other by distinct constrictions. Very little is known on the natural history of Sphinctomyrmex. The few observations so far suggest that ants of this genus are nomadic predators of other ants.
Ochetomyrmex is a Neotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.
Carebara is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is one of the largest myrmicine genera with more than 174 species distributed worldwide in the tropics and the Afrotropical region. Many of them are very tiny cryptic soil and leaf litter inhabitants. They nest in rotten wood to which the bark is still adherent in the Afrotropical region, or may be lestobiotic nesting near other ant species. Some species are known to exist parasitically within termite nests. Little is known about the biology of the species. However, they are notable for the vast difference in size between queens and workers.
Tranopelta is a Neotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.
Belonopelta is a Neotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. The genus contains two species: B. deletrix is known from Mesoamerica and Colombia, while B. attenuata is only known from Colombia. Members of this genus are rarely collected, and little is known about their habits. Males remain unknown for both species, and queens and larvae have only been described for B. deletrix.
Kempfidris is a Neotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae containing the single species Kempfidris inusualis. Known from Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela, the species was originally described as Monomorium inusuale in 2007, but was reclassified as the type species for the new genus Kempfidris in 2014. The species is only known from workers and almost nothing is known about their natural history.
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