Ant Taxonomy SubFamily- Heteroponerinae

Ant Mania > Family > SubFamily (Heteroponerinae)

About SubFamily Heteroponerinae

Heteroponerinae

Heteroponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the poneromorph subfamilies group containing three genera in one tribe. The subgenus was instituted in 2003 when Barry Bolton separated the Ponerinae subfamily into 6 subfamilies.

Scientific classificatione

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Arthropoda
• Class: Insecta
• Order: Hymenoptera
• Family: Formicidae
• Subfamily: Heteroponerinae
• Bolton, 2003
• Tribe: Heteroponerini
• Bolton, 2003
• Type genus
• Heteroponera
• Mayr
• Diversity
• 3 genera

Subfamily Heteroponerinae

For much of its taxonomic history, this group was considered a tribe within the subfamily Ponerinae. In his reclassification proposal, Bolton creates a separate subfamily for this tribe, Heteroponerinae. The characterization of this subfamily (below) is precisely based on Bolton’s proposal.

Characterization Subfamily Heteroponerinae

Small to medium size. The cephalic dorsum with a median carina extends from the anterior margin of the clypeus to the occipital margin. The clypeus is widely inserted between the frontal lobes. Anterior margin of the clypeus with a narrow lamella. Palpal formula 6.4 to 3.2. Antennal grooves are usually present. Eyes present and visible to reduced. promesonottal suture is present and flexible; the pronotum and mesonotum can move relative to each other. Metacoxal cavities closed, with a suture in the annulus or completely fused. The metapleural gland orifice is simply directed posteriorly or laterally. Metatibia and mesotibia with a spur. Petiole without tergosternal fusion. Laterotherges present. Helcium projected on the average height of the anterior face of abdominal segment III. The Carina or border of the anterior surface of the third abdominal segment arches dorsolaterally around the helium and is separated by a bright groove (apparently lost in some Heteroponera).

The presence of a lamella on the anterior margin of the clypeus is an attribute present also in Ectatomminae and some Myrmicinae (Bolton 2003). This same author acknowledges that no synapomorphies have been proposed for this taxon, although the combination of several attributes (median cephalic Carina, antennal grooves, arched Carina on the helium, reduced spurs) separates Heteroponerinae from the ponenoids (Bolton 2003:47).

Lattke (1994) and Keller (2000) partially explore the phylogeny of the “poneromorphs” with an emphasis on Ectatommini. Lattke (1994:110) lists a series of characters for his group Acanthoponera (equivalent to the subfamily Heteroponerinae), among which he highlights five as possible derivations (antenna with a club of three or more segments, Carena on the anterior surface of the third segment abdominal arching dorsally and laterally over the helcium and separated from it by a superficial groove, postpetiolar process with a vertical anterior face that forms an acute angle with the ventral border, longitudinal median cephalic Carina, shallow antennal groove poor a well developed, petiole peduncle present or not visible). Of these characteristics, Lattke (1994) considers the Carina in the third abdominal segment as unique for this group. Bolton (2003) suggests the presence of the cephalic longitudinal keel as a possible synapomorphy for the group. Although the studies by Lattke (1994) and Keller (2000) are an advance in understanding the relationships of these groups, more points still need to be clarified. In these two works, Heteroponerinae (or Heteroponerini or Acanthoponera group) appear as a defined group, sister to Cerapachyinae + Ecitoninae + Apomyrminae and Gnamptogenys + Rhytidoponera + Ectatomma. Recent molecular studies by Moreau et al. (2006) and Ouellette et al. (2006) place the subfamilies Heteroponerinae and Ectatomminae (Subclade Ectatomminoide) as a sister group of Formicinae and Myrmicinae, subfamilies, all belonging to the clade Formicoide. Brown (1958) considers Acanthoponera to be a primitive genus due to some characteristics (6.4 palps; extra tooth on tarsal nails; the flexible joint between pronotum and mesonotum), although the presence of an anal lobe on the hind wing is interpreted by Brown (1958). author as an advanced character.

[FULL LIST OF ALL THE Heteroponerinae GENERA]

Subfamilies Of Ants