Ant Taxonomy SubFamily- Myrmeciinae

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About SubFamily Myrmeciinae

Myrmeciinae

Myrmeciinae (Also Known as Nothomyrmeciinae)

These huge, conspicuous ants are just found in Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, they are most plentiful, diverse in the southerly areas, and rare in the tropics.

The subfamily consists of two genera (with three extra genera established only from fossils): Myrmecia, whose 89 defined classes and subspecies are restricted to New Caledonia and Australia, while Nothomyrmecia, with a single genus, is confined to mallee of southern Australia. Types of Myrmecia are frequently plentiful and can be discovered in various environments, including parks and gardens.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmeciinae
Diversity
2 genera
94 species
8 fossil genera
21 fossil species

Identification

This subfamily contains two highly distinctive species, Myrmecia and Nothomyrmecia.

Myrmecia have long, straight mandibles, large eyes, and often bright colors.
Nothomyrmecia can be recognized by their pale yellow color, large eyes, elongated mandibles, lack of a postpetiole, and the presence of a sting. These genera are doubtful to be confused with any other Australian ant.

Heterick (2009) – Members of this subfamily are nowadays positioned in two castes. The caste Myrmeciini possesses well-established bulldog ants. These ants are easily identified by their variety of slightly bowed, long mandibles with at least vestigial teeth on the internal margin, two different abdomen parts, and big eyes set very close to the mandibular insertions.

The monotypic caste Prionomyrmecini includes 1 alive genus and orders Nothomyrmecia macrops, the tribe is more varied in fossil history. Nothomyrmecia macrops are superficially comparable to bulldog ants. There is solely one belly sector, the eyes are well separated from the mandibular insertions, and the mandibles have more than 15 intermeshing teeth.

Males: Boudinot (2015) – Uniquely admitted by the mix of petiolation of stomach part III (Myrmeciini), retention of the jugal lobe and 2 ventroapical catalysts on each meso- and metatibia, and full fusion of the petiolar tergum and breast bone anteriorly (Prionomyrmecini).

The 3rd abdominal zone of the male of Nothomyrmecia (Prionomyrmecini) is incompletely petiolated, although it is still recognizable by the other forms above.

[FULL LIST OF Myrmeciinae GENUS]

Subfamilies Of Ants