Myrmecocystus
| Myrmecocystus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Myrmecocystus sp. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Lasiini |
| Genus: | Myrmecocystus Wesmael, 1838 |
| Type species | |
| Myrmecocystus mexicanus Wesmael, 1838
| |
| Diversity[1] | |
| 29 species | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Endiodioctes Snelling, 1976 | |
Myrmecocystus is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants.[2] Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid in their abdomens to feed the colony during famine times.[citation needed]. Some species engage in highly territorial tournaments, which can result in intraspecific slavery.[3] During the raids, they carry off larvae, workers, and plerergates.[4]
Species[]
- Snelling, 1982
- Snelling, 1976
- Snelling, 1971
- Forel, 1901
- Snelling, 1971
- Wheeler, 1912
- Cole, 1938
- Snelling, 1976
- Snelling, 1976
- Myrmecocystus kennedyi Snelling, 1969
- Snelling, 1976
- Wheeler, 1909
- Wheeler, 1914
- Forel, 1886
- Myrmecocystus mendax Wheeler, 1908
- Myrmecocystus mexicanus Wesmael, 1838
- Myrmecocystus mimicus Wheeler, 1908
- Wheeler, 1908
- Snelling, 1976
- Snelling, 1976
- Myrmecocystus placodops Forel, 1908
- Smith, 1951
- Hunt & Snelling, 1975
- Myrmecocystus semirufus Emery, 1893
- Bolton, 1995
- Snelling, 1976
- Myrmecocystus testaceus Emery, 1893
- Myrmecocystus wheeleri Snelling, 1971
- Myrmecocystus yuma Wheeler, 1912
Media[]
- Natural World: Empire of the Desert Ants, BBC TWO 10 August 2011, 8 pm BST; information about it on BBC Nature
References[]
- ^ Bolton, B. (2014). "Myrmecocystus". AntCat. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ^ Morgan, R. Biology, husbandry and display of the diurnal honey ant Myrmecocystus mendax Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Archived 2010-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Kronauer, D. J. C.; Gadau, J.; Hölldobler, B. (2003). "Genetic evidence for intra- and interspecific slavery in honey ants (genus Myrmecocystus)". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 270 (1517): 805–810. doi:10.1098/rspb.2002.2288. JSTOR 3558609. PMC 1691314. PMID 12737658.
- ^ "Honey Ant War Games End in Slavery". Science News. 109 (23/24): 358. 1976. doi:10.2307/3960982. JSTOR 3960982.
External links[]
Media related to Myrmecocystus at Wikimedia Commons
Categories:
- Formicinae
- Hymenoptera of North America
- Ant genera
- Edible insects
- Formicinae stubs