Dolichoderinae Explained

Dolichoderinae is a subfamily of ants, which includes species such as the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), the erratic ant, the odorous house ant, and the cone ant. The subfamily presents a great diversity of species throughout the world, distributed in different biogeographic realms, from the Palearctic, Nearctic, Afrotropical region and Malaysia, to the Middle East, Australian, and Neotropical regions.^[1]

This subfamily is distinguished by having a single petiole (no post-petiole) and a slit-like orifice, from which chemical compounds are released. Dolichoderine ants do not possess a sting, unlike ants in some other subfamilies, such as Ponerinae and Myrmicinae, instead relying on the chemical defensive compounds produced from the anal gland.^[2]

Of the compounds produced by dolichoderine ants, several terpenoids were identified including the previously unknown iridomyrmecin, isoiridomyrmecin, and iridodial.^[3] Such compounds are responsible for the smell given off by ants of this subfamily when crushed or disturbed.

Tribes and genera

• Bothriomyrmecini Dubovikov, 2005
  • Arnoldius Dubovikov, 2005
  • Bothriomyrmex Emery, 1869
  • Chronoxenus Santschi, 1919
  • Loweriella Shattuck, 1992
  • Ravavy Fisher, 2009
• Dolichoderini Forel, 1878
  • Dolichoderus Lund, 1831
• Leptomyrmecini Emery, 1913
  • Anillidris Santschi, 1936
  • Anonychomyrma Donisthorpe, 1947
  • Azteca Forel, 1878
  • †Chronomyrmex McKellar, Glasier & Engel, 2013
  • Doleromyrma Forel, 1907
  • Dorymyrmex Mayr, 1866
  • Forelius Emery, 1888
  • Froggattella Forel, 1902
  • Gracilidris Wild & Cuezzo, 2006
  • Iridomyrmex Mayr, 1862
  • Leptomyrmex Mayr, 1862
  • Linepithema Mayr, 1866
  • Nebothriomyrmex Dubovikov, 2004
  • Ochetellus Shattuck, 1992
  • Papyrius Shattuck, 1992
  • Philidris Shattuck, 1992
  • Turneria Forel, 1895
• †Miomyrmecini Carpenter, 1930
  • †Miomyrmex Carpenter, 1930
• Tapinomini Emery, 1913
  • Aptinoma Fisher, 2009
  • Axinidris Weber, 1941
  • †Ctenobethylus Brues, 1939
  • Ecphorella Forel, 1909
  • Liometopum Mayr, 1861
  • Tapinoma Förster, 1850
  • Technomyrmex Mayr, 1872
• incertae sedis
  • †Alloiomma Zhang, 1989
  • †Elaeomyrmex Carpenter, 1930
  • †Elaphrodites Zhang, 1989
  • †Eldermyrmex Heterick & Shattuck, 2011
  • †Emplastus Donisthorpe, 1920
  • †Eotapinoma Dlussky, 1988
  • †Eurymyrmex Zhang, Sun & Zhang, 1994
  • †Kotshkorkia Dlussky, 1981
  • †Ktunaxia Lapolla & Greenwalt, 2015
  • †Leptomyrmula Emery, 1913
  • †Petraeomyrmex Carpenter, 1930
  • †Proiridomyrmex Dlussky & Rasnitsyn, 2003
  • †Protazteca Carpenter, 1930
  • †Usomyrma Dlussky, Radchenko & Dubovikoff, 2014
  • †Yantaromyrmex Dlussky & Dubovikoff, 2013
  • †Zherichinius Dlussky, 1988

See also

• List of ants of Andorra

Notes and References

1. Cardoso . D. . Cristiano . M. P. . Barros . L. S. . Lopes . D. . Pompolo . S. . First cytogenetic characterization of a species of the arboreal ant genus Azteca Forel, 1978 (Dolichoderinae, Formicidae) . 10.3897/CompCytogen.v6i2.2397 . Comparative Cytogenetics . 6 . 2 . 107–14 . 2012 . 24260655. 3833797 . free .
2. Fisher, Brian L. and Stefan P. Cover (2007) Ants of North America: a guide to the genera
3. Wilson . E. O. . Pavan . M. . 10.1155/1959/45675 . Glandular Sources and Specificity of Some Chemical Releasers of Social Behavior in Dolichoderine Ants . Psyche: A Journal of Entomology . 66 . 4 . 70 . 1959 . free .