Contributions to the knowledge of Formicidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata): a new diagnosis of the family, the first global male-based key to subfamilies, and a treatment of early branching lineages

Boudinot, Brendon E.

doi:10.5852/ejt.2015.120

Cited by 836 publications

(86 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Reference phylogenies: Grimaldi et al 1997: Barden andGrimaldi 2016. More characters of crown-group ants are listed elsewhere (Bolton 2003;Boudinot 2015).…”

Section: Pan-formicidaementioning

confidence: 99%

Description of a new genus of primitive ants from Canadian amber, with the study of relationships between stem- and crown-group ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Borysenko¹

2016

Preprint

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A detailed study of the holotype of Sphecomyrma canadensis Wilson, 1985 from Canadian amber has led to the conclusion that the specimen belongs to a new genus, here named Boltonimecia gen.n. Since the taxonomy of stem-group ants is not well understood, in order to find the taxonomic position of this genus, it is necessary to review the classification of stem-group ants in a study of their relation to crown-group ants. In the absence of data for traditional taxonomic approaches, a statistical study was done based on a morphometric analysis of antennae. Scape elongation is believed to play an important role in the evolution of eusociality in ants; however, this hypothesis has never been confirmed statistically. The statistical analysis presented herein lends support to the view that antennal morphology reliably distinguishes stem-group ants from crown-group ants to determine whether a species belongs to one or the other group. This, in turn, may indicate a relationship exists between eusociality and scape elongation. A review of Cretaceous records of ants is made and the higher classification of Formicidae with definitions of stem and crown groups is proposed. Newly obtained data are discussed focusing particularly on the origin, evolution and diversity of ants. Examination of the amber inclusion.Photographs were taken with a Nikon D1X digital camera attached to the microscope Leica Z6 APO. The photographs were used to make drawings, which were then computer generated and adjusted using Adobe Photoshop. All measurements were made with an ocular micrometer and are in millimeters. The following measurements were recorded: HL -head length (measured in full-face view as a straight line from the anterior-most point of median clypeal margin to the mid-point of the posterior margin of the head), HW -head width (maximum head width in full-face view), SL -scape length (maximum length excluding articular condyle) F1L-F9Llength of flagellomeres (1 st -9 th ), AL -antenna length, ML -mandible length (maximum length of its horizontal part), WL -Weber's length (the distance from the anterodorsal margin of the pronotum to the posteroventral margin of the propodeum), TL -total body length.Taxon sampling and morphometry. I used all morphometric data on antennae and heads of stem-group ants available from the literature; also I either made measurements or used published data on antennae and heads of crown-group ants representing all extant subfamilies ( Тable S1). For the measurements, only species with both a detailed description in the literature and high resolution images available from AntWeb (Fisher 2002) were selected. I also aimed that the species would cover the broad phylogenetic diversity. All subfamilies in the data set are represented by one species, except for the largest ones (Ponerinae, Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, Myrmicinae), which are represented by two species. Recently, six subfamilies of the dorylomorph group have been subsumed into a single subfamily, Dorylinae (Brady et al. 2014), but here in order to cover bro...

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“…Reference phylogenies: Grimaldi et al 1997: Barden andGrimaldi 2016. More characters of crown-group ants are listed elsewhere (Bolton 2003;Boudinot 2015).…”

Section: Pan-formicidaementioning

confidence: 99%

Description of a new genus of primitive ants from Canadian amber, with the study of relationships between stem- and crown-group ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Borysenko¹

2016

Preprint

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“…Formicine workers have a flexible promesonotal suture (secondarily immobile in a few taxa), closed metacoxal cavities, single petiolar node, complete tergosternal fusion of the petiole (second abdominal segment), and no functional sting; abdominal segments 4-6 are very large relative to the sternites, which they overlap laterally and usually also ventrally (Bolton 2003). A diagnosis of Formicinae males is provided by Boudinot (2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A revised phylogenetic classification of the ant subfamily Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with resurrection of the genera Colobopsis and Dinomyrmex

Ward

Blaimer

Fisher

2016

Zootaxa

100

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The classification of the ant subfamily Formicinae is revised to reflect findings from a recent molecular phylogenetic study and complementary morphological investigations. The existing classification is maintained as far as possible, but some tribes and genera are redefined to ensure monophyly. Eleven tribes are recognized, all of which are strongly supported as monophyletic groups: Camponotini, Formicini, Gesomyrmecini, Gigantiopini, Lasiini (= Prenolepidii syn. n.), Melophorini (= Myrmecorhynchini syn. n.; = Notostigmatini syn. n.), Myrmelachistini stat. rev. (= Brachymyrmicini syn. n.), Myrmoteratini, Oecophyllini, Plagiolepidini, and Santschiellini stat. rev. Most of the tribes remain similar in content, but the generic composition of Lasiini, Melophorini, and Plagiolepidini is changed substantially. Species that have been placed in the genus Camponotus belong to three separate lineages. To ensure monophyly of this large, cosmopolitan genus we institute the following changes: Colobopsis and Dinomyrmex, both former subgenera of Camponotus, are elevated to genus level (stat. rev.), and two former genera, Forelophilus and Phasmomyrmex, are demoted to subgenus status (stat. n. and stat. rev., respectively) under Camponotus; two erstwhile subgenera of Phasmomyrmex, Myrmorhachis and Myrmacantha, become junior synonyms (syn. n.) of Camponotus (Phasmomyrmex); and the Camponotus subgenus Myrmogonia becomes a junior synonym (syn. n.) of Colobopsis. Dinomyrmex, represented by a single species from southeast Asia, D. gigas, is quite distinctive, but Camponotus and Colobopsis exhibit more subtle differences, despite being well separated phylogenetically. We identify morphological features of the worker caste that are broadly useful for distinguishing these two genera. Colobopsis species on the islands of New Caledonia and Fiji—regions with few native Camponotus species—tend to exceed these diagnostic bounds, but in this case regionally applicable character differences can be used to distinguish the two clades. Despite confusing similarities in the worker caste Colobopsis and Camponotus retain diagnostic differences in their larvae and pupae.

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“…Most male ants have cerci but their loss has occurred several times independently, in Leptanillinae, Martialis , some Amblyoponinae, and some Proceratiinae (Boudinot 2015). The Dorylinae is the largest clade of ants where male cerci appear to be absent from all species.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the descriptions I provide a very general account of the genital morphology. The terminology I use here follows Boudinot (2015).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Borowiec

2016

109

105

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The generic classification of the ant subfamily Dorylinae is revised, with the aim of facilitating identification of easily-diagnosable monophyletic genera. The new classification is based on recent molecular phylogenetic evidence and a critical reappraisal of doryline morphology. New keys and diagnoses based on workers and males are provided, along with reviews of natural history and phylogenetic relationships, distribution maps, and a list of valid species for each lineage. Twenty-eight genera (27 extant and 1 extinct) are recognized within the subfamily, an increase from 20 in the previous classification scheme. Species classified in the polyphyletic Cerapachys and Sphinctomyrmex prior to this publication are here distributed among 9 and 3 different genera, respectively. Amyrmex and Asphinctanilloides are synonymized under Leptanilloides and the currently recognized subgenera are synonymized for Dorylus. No tribal classification is proposed for the subfamily, but several apparently monophyletic genus-groups are discussed. Valid generic names recognized here include: Acanthostichus (= Ctenopyga), Aenictogiton, Aenictus (= Paraenictus, Typhlatta), Cerapachys (= Ceratopachys), Cheliomyrmex, Chrysapace gen. rev., Cylindromyrmex (= Holcoponera, Hypocylindromyrmex, Metacylindromyrmex), Dorylus (= Alaopone syn. n., Anomma syn. n., Cosmaecetes, Dichthadia syn. n., Rhogmus syn. n., Shuckardia, Sphecomyrmex, Sphegomyrmex, Typhlopone syn. n.), Eburopone gen. n., Eciton (= Camptognatha, Holopone, Mayromyrmex), Eusphinctus gen. rev., Labidus (= Nycteresia, Pseudodichthadia), Leptanilloides (= Amyrmex syn. n., Asphinctanilloides syn. n.), Lioponera gen. rev. (= Neophyracaces syn. n., Phyracaces syn. n.), Lividopone, Neivamyrmex (= Acamatus, Woitkowskia), Neocerapachys gen. n., Nomamyrmex, Ooceraea gen. rev. (= Cysias syn. n.), Parasyscia gen. rev., †Procerapachys, Simopone, Sphinctomyrmex, Syscia gen. rev., Tanipone, Vicinopone, Yunodorylus gen. rev., Zasphinctus gen. rev. (= Aethiopopone syn. n., Nothosphinctus syn. n.).

show abstract

Contributions to the knowledge of Formicidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata): a new diagnosis of the family, the first global male-based key to subfamilies, and a treatment of early branching lineages

Cited by 836 publications

References 36 publications

Description of a new genus of primitive ants from Canadian amber, with the study of relationships between stem- and crown-group ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Description of a new genus of primitive ants from Canadian amber, with the study of relationships between stem- and crown-group ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A revised phylogenetic classification of the ant subfamily Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with resurrection of the genera Colobopsis and Dinomyrmex

Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

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