Linepithema

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Linepithema
Linepithema humile casent0006019 profile 1.jpg
Linepithema humile (Argentine ant) worker from California
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hymenoptera
Family:
Formicidae
Subfamily:
Dolichoderinae
Tribe:
Leptomyrmecini
Genus:
Linepithema

Mayr, 1866
Type species
Linepithema fuscum
Mayr, 1866
Diversity [1]
20 species

Linepithema is a genus of small ants in the subfamily Dolichoderinae. [2]

A genus is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, as well as viruses, in biology. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus.

Ant family of insects

Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the Cretaceous period, about 140 million years ago, and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than 12,500 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.

In biological classification, a subfamily is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoological names with "-inae".

Contents

Distribution

L. humile ants patrolling on a plant (Ficus sur) in South Africa, well outside their native range Ficus sur, vars winterblare, Louwsburg.jpg
L. humile ants patrolling on a plant ( Ficus sur ) in South Africa, well outside their native range

Their native distribution rage from northern Mexico, east into the Caribbean, and south into northern Argentina. Two species have been spread around the world by human activities: L. iniquum and L. humile. The latter is better known as the Argentine ant, an invasive species with notable presence in Mediterranean climates. Linepithema species are found from sea level and up to 4,000 meters above sea level in the Andes. [3]

Mexico Country in the southern portion of North America

Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometers (770,000 sq mi), the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world. With an estimated population of over 120 million people, the country is the tenth most populous state and the most populous Spanish-speaking state in the world, while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil. Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states and Mexico City, a special federal entity that is also the capital city and its most populous city. Other metropolises in the state include Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Toluca, Tijuana and León.

Caribbean region to the center-east of America composed of many islands and of coastal regions of continental countries surrounding the Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands and the surrounding coasts. The region is southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America.

Argentina Federal republic in South America

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country located mostly in the southern half of South America. Sharing the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west, the country is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi), Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, the fourth largest in the Americas, and the largest Spanish-speaking nation. The sovereign state is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city, Buenos Aires, which is the federal capital of the nation as decided by Congress. The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions, but exist under a federal system. Argentina claims sovereignty over part of Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

Species

<i>Linepithema anathema</i> species of insect

Linepithema anathema is a species of ant in the genus Linepithema. Described by Wild in 2007, the species is endemic to Brazil.

<i>Linepithema angulatum</i> species of insect

Linepithema anathema is a species of ant in the genus Linepithema. Described by Emery in 1894, the species is endemic to South America.

<i>Linepithema aztecoides</i> species of insect

Linepithema aztecoides is a species of ant in the genus Linepithema. Described by Wild in 2007, the species is endemic to Brazil and Paraguay.

Related Research Articles

Myrmicinae subfamily of ants with cosmopolitan distribution whose pupae do not create cocoons

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.

<i>Pogonomyrmex</i> genus of insects

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 subfamily of insects

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 regions, from the Palearctic, Nearctic, Afrotropical region and Malaysia, to the Middle East, Australian, and Neotropical regions.

<i>Aphaenogaster</i> genus of insects

Aphaenogaster is a genus of myrmicine ants. 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.

<i>Crematogaster</i> genus of insects

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.

<i>Plagiolepis</i> genus of insects

Plagiolepis is an ant genus of the formic acid-producing subfamily Formicinae. The genus is found in tropical and temperate regions of the Old World.

<i>Tetramorium</i> genus of insects

Tetramorium is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae that includes more than 520 species.

<i>Procryptocerus</i> genus of insects

Procryptocerus is a Neotropical genus of gliding ants, with the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on.

<i>Hypoponera</i> genus of insects

Hypoponera is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. The genus has a worldwide distribution and is found in all continents except Antarctica.

<i>Rhytidoponera</i> genus of insects

Rhytidoponera is a large genus of ants in the subfamily Ectatomminae. The genus is known from Australia and Melanesia, with New Caledonia as the most eastern limit.

<i>Dolichoderus</i> genus of insects

Dolichoderus is a genus of ants found worldwide.

<i>Neivamyrmex</i> genus of insects

Neivamyrmex is a genus of army ants in the subfamily Dorylinae. Most species are predominantly subterranean, but they will occasionally forage above ground at night or on cloudy days.

<i>Acanthostichus</i> genus of insects

Acanthostichus is a predatory and predominantly subterranean genus of ant in the subfamily Dorylinae. They are found in the New World, from the southern United States to Uruguay, Paraguay and northern Argentina. They are probably common, but due to their subterranean nature, they are seldom collected or seen.

<i>Cataulacus</i> genus of insects

Cataulacus is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus is distributed in the Paleotropical regions, mainly in the Afrotropics. Most species are found in forests, but a few are known from more open and arid habitats.

<i>Podomyrma</i> genus of insects

Podomyrma is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.

Leptomyrmecini tribe of insects

Leptomyrmecini is a tribe of Dolichoderinae ants with 16 genera and two extinct genera.

<i>Linepithema iniquum</i> species of insect

Linepithema iniquum is a species of ant in the genus Linepithema. Described by Mayr in 1870, the species is endemic to South America and Europe.

<i>Linepithema micans</i> species of insect

Linepithema micans is a species of ant in the genus Linepithema. Described by Forel in 1908, the species is endemic to South America.

References

  1. ↑ Bolton, B. (2014). "Linepithema". AntCat. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Genus: Linepithema". antweb.org. AntWeb . Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  3. ↑ Wild, A. L. (2007). "Taxonomic revision of the ant genus Linepithema (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". University of California Publications in Entomology. 126: 1–151.


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