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Aphaenogaster

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Aphaenogaster is a genus of myrmicine ants. About 200 species have been described, including 18 fossil species.[1] They occur worldwide except from South America and Southern Africa.[citation needed]

Aphaenogaster
Temporal range: Lutetian - Recent
A. swammerdami worker
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hymenoptera
Family:
Formicidae
Subfamily:
Myrmicinae
Tribe:
Pheidolini
Genus:
Aphaenogaster

Mayr, 1853
Type species
Aphaenogaster sardoa
Mayr, 1853
Diversity[1]
200 species
Synonyms
  • Deromyrma Forel, 1913
  • Nystalomyrma Wheeler, 1916

They are often confused with Pheidole or Pheidologeton. These two have major and minor workers, while Aphaenogaster has only a single worker caste. Pheidole has a 3-segmented club on its antenna, while Aphaenogaster has four segments and a larger body size. Pheidologeton has an 11-segmented antenna, while the antenna in Aphaenogaster is 12-segmented.[2]

In Australia, they often build dense, conspicuous nests.[3] Nest entrances are generally funnel-shaped with diameters of up to 4 cm, which resulted in the common name funnel ants. These nests can be a serious problem for golfers or on pastures and unsealed airstrips, because the fragile surface easily collapses under pressure.[2] Where it occurs, Aphaenogaster bioturbation is an important soil and landscape process.[3]

Aphaenogaster probably gets most of its food from tended aphids on the roots of plants, which explains that they are rarely seen on the surface. The funnel-shaped openings could play a role in trapping arthropods, which are also eaten.[2]

Species

 
A. lepida worker and male

References

  1. ^ a b Bolton, B. (2014). "Aphaenogaster". AntCat. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Genus Aphaenogaster
  3. ^ a b Richards, P.J. (2009) Aphaenogaster ants as bioturbators: impacts on soil and slope processes. Earth-Science Reviews 96: 92-106.
  4. ^ a b De Andrade, M. L. (1995). "The ant genus Aphaenogaster in Dominican and Mexican amber (Amber Collection Stuttgart: Hymenoptera, Formicidae. IX: Pheidolini)". Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde (B). 223: 1–11.
  5. ^ Fujiyama, I. (1970). "Fossil insects from the Chojabaru Formation, Iki Island, Japan". Memoires of the Natural Science Museum, Tokyo. 3: 65–74.
  6. ^ a b c Carpenter, F. M. (1930). "The fossil ants of North America" (PDF). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 70: 1–66.
  7. ^ Scudder, S. H. (1890). "The Tertiary insects of North America". United States Geological Survey of the Territories, Washington: 615.
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