Transcript Document

Subfamily Ponerinae
Compiled by Hilda Taylor
Genus Ectatomma
Genus Amblyopone
Genus Anochteus
Descriptive Characteristics:
- Most species are very small
- Closely related to Odontomachus
- Head has smooth curve without nuchal carina
- Mandibles elongate
- Post petiole fused, not well defined
Habitat:
- Found mostly in wet tropical forests
= can also be found in semiarid habitats in the US
- Can be found under rocks and in the soil
Genus Ectatomma
Descriptive Characteristics:
- Body covered with ridges, parallel lines
- Bump on top and on the sides of the pronotum
Habitat:
- Found in tropical rain forest and also in deserts
- nest in soils
Genus Gnamptogenys
Descriptive Characteristics:
- Resembles Genus Ectotmma, but it is smaller
- Closely related to Genus Ectotomma
- Has concentric ridges on petiole
- Brown
Habitat:
- Almost always found in moist habitats
- Nest in or under logs
= in the US found in the soil
= in Mexico in logs and in the soil
Genus Hypoponera
Descriptive Characteristics:
- Very small, dark brown
- Very tiny eyes (extremely hard to find)
- Mid and hind tibia with only one spur (pectinate)
- Very very difficult to identify
Habitat:
- Found under rocks in all kinds of habitats such as:
= hard wood forests (Chiracahuas National Park , Portal)
= deserts (Jornada Experimental Ranch, Chih. Desert)
= high altitudes > 8,000 ft in Colombia
= tropical rain forests
Genus Leptogenys
Descriptive Characteristics:
- Queens look a lot like workers (hard to
differentiate)
- Big shinny ants
- Some have spines on the petiole
- Front, mid, and hind tarsus with 2 pectinate
claws
Habitats:
- Found in moist forests in logs and under rocks
Genus Odontomachus
Descriptive Characteristics:
- Head is a little longer than Anochetus with a nuchal carina
- Bigger ant than Anochetus
- Mandibles elongate with 3 teeth at apex
- Antennae with 12 segments
- Petiole sharply pointed above
- Gaster with very weak constriction between first 2 terga
Habitat:
- Most common in deserts
= can be found in the Davis Mountains in south Texas
= can also be found under rocks in cacao forests where wet
- One queen, one nest
Genus Pachycondyla
Descriptive Characteristics:
- Some ants have a carina that runs from the mandible to the eye, resembles a ridge
or scar.
- Some ants have a carina n the pronotum
- Mid and hind tibia with two tibial spurs
= one normal pectinate
= one resembles a hair
Habitat:
- Tropical rain forests under roks and in the soil
- US in south Texas
Genus Paraponera
Descriptive Characteristics:
- Very big ant, ~ 1” (2.5 cm)
- Commonly known as “Bullet Ants”
- One can hear stridulation
- Head - Depression where the scape of the antennae originates extends up above
the eye around and behind it (structure on side of the head is where the
runctillus rests)
- Petiole is rectangular in shape
- Predaceous
Habitat:
- Tropical forests (maybe from Costa Rica to Panama)
Genus Ponera
Descriptive Characteristics:
- Petiole has a small circle at the bottom, resembles a
window.
- Petiole has two little teeth at the bottom, resemble
two small angles
Habitat:
- Moist forests, neartic, not found in tropcial forests.
Genus Thaumathomyrmex
Descriptive Characteristics:
- Mandibles very distinct
- Shinny black, glossy
Habitat:
- Tropical forests, primary growth
- Nest in the soil
- Possibly feeds on millepedes