Formicinae

The Formicinae are a subfamily within the Formicidae family containing ants of moderate evolutionary development.

Formicines retain some primitive features, such as the presence of cocoons around pupae, the presence of ocelli in workers, and little tendency toward reduction of palp or antennal segmentation in most species, except subterranean groups. Extreme modification of mandibles is rare, except in the genera Myrmoteras and Polyergus. However, some members show considerable evolutionary advancement in behaviors such as slave-making and symbiosis with root-feeding hemipterans. Finally, all formicines have very reduced stings and enlarged venom reservoirs, with the venom gland, specialized (uniquely among ants) for the production of formic acid.[citation needed]

All members of the Formicinae "have a one-segmented petiole in the form of a vertical scale".

Identification

Formicine ants have a single node-like or scale-like petiole (postpetiole entirely lacking) and the apex of the abdomen has a circular or U-shaped opening (the acidopore), usually fringed with hairs. A functional sting is absent, and defense is provided by the ejection of formic acid through the acidopore. If the acidopore is concealed by the pygidium and difficult to discern, then the antennal sockets are located well behind the posterior margin of the clypeus (cf. Dolichoderinae). In most formicines, the eyes are well developed (ocelli may also be present), the antennal insertions are not concealed by the frontal carinae, and the promesonotal suture is present and flexible.

Tribes and genera

The tribal structure of the Formicinae is not completely understood. This list follows the scheme at AntCat, but other schemes and names are used.

• Camponotini Forel, 1878 Calomyrmex Emery, 1895 Camponotus Mayr, 1861 †Chimaeromyrma Dlussky, 1988 Colobopsis Mayr, 1861 Dinomyrmex Ashmead, 1905 Echinopla Smith, 1857 †Eocamponotus Boudinot, 2024 Lathidris Ward et al, 2025 Opisthopsis Dalla Torre, 1893 Overbeckia Viehmeyer, 1916 Polyrhachis Smith, 1857 Retalimyrma Ward et al, 2025 Uwari Ward et al, 2025
• Formicini Latreille, 1809 Alloformica Dlussky, 1969 †Asymphylomyrmex Wheeler, 1915 Bajcaridris Agosti, 1994 Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850 †Cataglyphoides Dlussky, 2008 †Conoformica Dlussky, 2008 Formica Linnaeus, 1758 †Glaphyromyrmex Wheeler, 1915 Iberoformica Tinaut, 1990 Polyergus Latreille, 1804 Proformica Ruzsky, 1902 †Protoformica Dlussky, 1967 Rossomyrmex Arnol'di, 1928
• Gesomyrmecini Ashmead, 1905 Gesomyrmex Mayr, 1868 †Prodimorphomyrmex Wheeler, 1915 †Sicilomyrmex Wheeler, 1915
• Gigantiopini Ashmead, 1905 Gigantiops Roger, 1863
• Lasiini Ashmead, 1905 Cladomyrma Wheeler, 1920 Euprenolepis Emery, 1906 Lasius Fabricius, 1804 Metalasius Boudinot et al., 2022 Myrmecocystus Wesmael, 1838 Nylanderia Emery, 1906 Paraparatrechina Donisthorpe, 1947 Paratrechina Motschoulsky, 1863 Prenolepis Mayr, 1861 Pseudolasius Emery, 1887 Zatania LaPolla et al., 2012
• Melophorini Forel, 1912 Lasiophanes Emery, 1895 Melophorus Lubbock, 1883 Myrmecorhynchus André, 1896 Notoncus Emery, 1895 Notostigma Emery, 1920 Prolasius Forel, 1892 Pseudonotoncus Clark, 1934 Stigmacros Forel, 1905 Teratomyrmex McAreavey, 1957
• Myrmelachistini Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868 Myrmelachista Roger, 1863
• Myrmoteratini Emery, 1895 Myrmoteras Forel, 1893
• Oecophyllini Emery, 1895 †Eoecophylla Archibald et al., 2024 Oecophylla Smith, 1860
• Plagiolepidini Forel, 1886 Acropyga Roger, 1862 Agraulomyrmex Prins, 1983 Anoplolepis Santschi, 1914 Aphomomyrmex Emery, 1899 Bregmatomyrma Wheeler, 1929 Lepisiota Santschi, 1926 Petalomyrmex Snelling, 1979 Plagiolepis Mayr, 1861 Tapinolepis Emery, 1925
• Santschiellini Forel, 1917 Santschiella Forel, 1916
• incertae sedis †Attopsis Heer, 1850 †Estevia Fisher, 2025 †Leucotaphus Donisthorpe, 1920 †Liaoformica Hong, 2002 †Longiformica Hong, 2002 †Magnogasterites Hong, 2002 †Orbicapitia Hong, 2002 †Ovalicapito Hong, 2002 †Ovaligastrula Hong, 2002 †Protrechina Wilson, 1985 †Sinoformica Hong, 2002 †Sinotenuicapito Hong, 2002

External links

• Media related to Formicinae at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Formicinae at Wikispecies