| Sericomyrmex | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sericomyrmex amabilis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Sericomyrmex Mayr, 1865 |
| Diversity [1] | |
| 22 species | |
Sericomyrmex is a genus of fungus-growing ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.
Workers are up to 4 mm long. They are more diurnal than other fungus growers, but also work a little at night. Winged forms were found during July. [2]
In young colonies this leads to a small chamber about 15 cm below, which is situated to the right or left of a gallery. When the colony increases new chambers are formed by piercing through the first. Colonies do not exceed 200 individuals, and a nest thus consists of up to three fungus-growing chambers opening into the first one, which is then used as an antechamber, where material brought in by workers is deposited prior to bringing it into the growth chambers, which are about 6 cm in diameter. Small roots growing into them are not cut away but used to hang the gardens on, which resemble a coarse grey sponge. [2]
Scattered throughout this mass are adults, pupae and larvae. White bodies of about .25 mm are strewn thickly upon the surface of the garden, which consist of an aggregation of hyphae with spherical swellings at the end. These bodies, called "Kohlrabi" clumps by Möller, are used for food by the ants. When held in artificial nests, they preferred fruits, especially oranges over other matter like flowers, leaves, and even the organic glue from the back of an old book, which they will all put to use. Of the oranges they take very small particles of the white skin. [2]
The queens appear to mate with only one male during their nuptial flights. [3]
The nests of S. urichi are most often found in the grass, and can be easily recognized by their peculiar raised entrance. They are always excavated in soil rich in clay, and the cylindrical entrances raise almost 3 cm above the surface. [2]
S. diego from Colombia was found to build a fungus garden about 20 cm below the surface. Workers feign death when encountered. They collect little green vegetable particles resembling an alga, on which they grow their fungus. [4]
S. zacapanus was first found on the clay banks of a small irrigation ditch in an orchard at Zacapa, Guatemala. The nests had small craters of about 6 cm diameter and were covered with the ejected fragments of old fungus substrate. [5]
S. impexus was found in a sandy area at Kartabo, Guyana, to which S. amabilis from Panama is very closely related. [6]
Fungus-growing ants comprise all the known fungus-growing ant species participating in ant–fungus mutualism. They are known for cutting grasses and leaves, carrying them to their colonies' nests, and using them to grow fungus on which they later feed.
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.
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.
Tapinoma is a genus of ants that belongs to the subfamily Dolichoderinae. The genus currently comprises 74 described species distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate regions. Members of are generalized foragers, nesting in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from grasslands, open fields, woodlands, to inside buildings. The majority of species nest in the ground under objects such as stones or tree logs, other species build nests under bark of logs and stumps, in plant cavities, insect galls or refuse piles.
Cephalotes is a genus of tree-dwelling ant species from the Americas, commonly known as turtle ants. All appear to be gliding ants, with the ability to "parachute" and steer their fall so as to land back on the tree trunk rather than fall to the ground, which is often flooded.
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.
Cardiocondyla is an Old World genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.
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 (tree-dwelling). These ants are sometimes known as acrobat ants.
Megalomyrmex symmetochus is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is native to Panama.
Pseudomyrmex is a genus of stinging, wasp-like ants in the subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae. They are large-eyed, slender ants, found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of the New World.
Acromyrmex is a genus of New World ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae. This genus is found in South America and parts of Central America and the Caribbean Islands, and contains 33 known species. Commonly known as "leafcutter ants" they comprise one of the two genera of advanced attines within the tribe Attini, along with Atta.
Aenictus is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Trachymyrmex is a genus of fungus-growing ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus is mainly tropical in distribution, with most species being found in Central and South America.
Myrmicocrypta is a Neotropical genus of fungus-growing ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus is known from Mexico to Argentina. Their colonies are generally small, consisting of fewer than 200 individuals.
Cyphomyrmex is a genus of fungus-growing ants found primarily in South and Central America. However, some species do come up to the southern portion of North America. They grow a variety of fungi in the tribe Leucocoprineae. Most fungal gardens are grown in small nodules, some species to cultivate entire mycelium, though. Colonies are monogynous and are relatively small with about 100 workers on average.
Apterostigma is a genus of New World ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae. Two species have been described from fossils preserved in Dominican amber, while the others are extant. They are fungus-growing ants, though, unlike the majority of other species in Attini who grow Lepiotaceae, some species have begun cultivating Tricholomataceae.
Carebara is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is one of the largest myrmicine genera with more than 200 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 genus, but they are notable for the vast difference in size between queens and workers.
Nylanderia is a large genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution with species inhabiting a wide array of habitats in almost all geographic regions. Nylanderia, currently containing over 110 species, is an ecologically important genus, with some species reported as being invasive. The ants are small to medium in size and range in color from pale yellow to black.
Sericomyrmex radioheadi is a species of ant in the genus Sericomyrmex. Described by Ana Ješovnik and Ted R. Schultz in 2017, the species is endemic to Venezuelan Amazonia. The species is named after the British rock band Radiohead. Female members of the species have a white, crystal-like layer covering their bodies, but this layer is absent from the males.
Sericomyrmex burchelli is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. Insects belonging to the Sericomyrmex genus are light yellow to deep ferrugineous brown in color and covered with long, flexible hairs, making them appear silky and velvety to the naked eye. In Latin, "sericeus" means "silky".
