Ant Taxonomy Genus- Nylanderia

Ant Mania > Family > SubFamily > Genus (Nylanderia)

About Genus Nylanderia

Nylanderia is a genus of ants in the family Formicidae. It is found throughout the world and contains over 135 species, with new species being discovered regularly. They are small to medium-sized ants typically ranging from 1-4mm in length.

They live in a variety of habitats including forests, grasslands, and urban areas. Some species are known for their nuisance behavior as they can become very numerous and invade homes or other structures looking for food.

The species are found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, primarily in moist or wet habitats.

The most recently described species, Nylanderia fulva, was discovered in 2008 and is known as the “tawny crazy ant” due to its behavior of rapidly running back and forth while foraging.

Other common names for members of this genus include Tropical Fire Ants (for N. pubens), Rasberry Crazy Ants (for N. gallandii), and Honeypot Ants (for N. vaga).

The phylogenetic relationships within Nylanderia remain poorly understood due to limited sampling across its global distribution range and a lack of molecular data available for many species.

Currently, there are two main clades proposed: one consisting mostly of African/Madagascan species, with the other consisting mainly of Central/South American forms plus some Asian taxa; however, it has been suggested that additional lineages may exist based on morphological differences between some groups such as the honeypot ants versus other populations that exhibit different worker sizes or body shapes depending on regionality or diet preferences.

Subfamilies Of Ants