The Formicinae are a subfamily within the Formicidae family containing ants of moderate evolutionary development.

Formicines retain some primitive features, such as the presence of cocoons around pupae, the presence of ocelli in workers, and little tendency toward reduction of palp or antennall segmentation in most species, except subterranean groups. Extreme modification of mandibless is rare, except in the genera Myrmoteras and Polyergus. However, some members show considerable evolutionary advancement in behaviors such as slave-making and symbiosis with root-feeding hemipterans. Finally, all formicines have very reduced stingss and enlarged venom reservoirs, with the venom gland, specialized (uniquely among ants) for the production of formic acid.

All members of the Formicinae "have a one-segmented petiole in the form of a vertical scale".

Identification

Formicine ants have a single node-like or scale-like petiole (postpetiole entirely lacking) and the apex of the abdomen has a circular or U-shaped opening (the acidopore), usually fringed with hairs. A functional sting is absent, and defense is provided by the ejection of formic acid through the acidopore. If the acidopore is concealed by the pygidium and difficult to discern, then the antennal sockets are located well behind the posterior margin of the clypeus (cf. Dolichoderinae). In most formicines, the eyes are well developed (ocelli may also be present), the antennal insertions are not concealed by the frontal carinae, and the promesonotal suture is present and flexible.

Tribes and genera

The tribal structure of the Formicinae is not completely understood. This list follows the scheme at AntCat, but other schemes and names are used.

Camponotini Forel, 1878

• Calomyrmex Emery, 1895

• Camponotus Mayr, 1861

• †Chimaeromyrma Dlussky, 1988

• Colobopsis Mayr, 1861

• Dinomyrmex Ashmead, 1905

• Echinopla Smith, 1857

• †Eocamponotus Boudinot, 2024

• Lathidris Ward et al, 2025

• Opisthopsis Dalla Torre, 1893

• Overbeckia Viehmeyer, 1916

• Polyrhachis Smith, 1857

• Retalimyrma Ward et al, 2025

• Uwari Ward et al, 2025

Formicini Latreille, 1809

• Alloformica Dlussky, 1969

• †Asymphylomyrmex Wheeler, 1915

• Bajcaridris Agosti, 1994

• Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850

• †Cataglyphoides Dlussky, 2008

• †Conoformica Dlussky, 2008

• Formica Linnaeus, 1758

• †Glaphyromyrmex Wheeler, 1915

• Iberoformica Tinaut, 1990

• Polyergus Latreille, 1804

• Proformica Ruzsky, 1902

• †Protoformica Dlussky, 1967

• Rossomyrmex Arnol'di, 1928

Gesomyrmecini Ashmead, 1905

• Gesomyrmex Mayr, 1868

• †Prodimorphomyrmex Wheeler, 1915

• †Sicilomyrmex Wheeler, 1915

Gigantiopini Ashmead, 1905

• Gigantiops Roger, 1863

Lasiini Ashmead, 1905

• Cladomyrma Wheeler, 1920

• Euprenolepis Emery, 1906

• Lasius Fabricius, 1804

• Metalasius Boudinot et al., 2022

• Myrmecocystus Wesmael, 1838

• Nylanderia Emery, 1906

• Paraparatrechina Donisthorpe, 1947

• Paratrechina Motschoulsky, 1863

• Prenolepis Mayr, 1861

• Pseudolasius Emery, 1887

• Zatania LaPolla et al., 2012

Melophorini Forel, 1912

• Lasiophanes Emery, 1895

• Melophorus Lubbock, 1883

• Myrmecorhynchus André, 1896

• Notoncus Emery, 1895

• Notostigma Emery, 1920

• Prolasius Forel, 1892

• Pseudonotoncus Clark, 1934

• Stigmacros Forel, 1905

• Teratomyrmex McAreavey, 1957

Myrmelachistini

• Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868

• Myrmelachista Roger, 1863

Myrmoteratini Emery, 1895

• Myrmoteras Forel, 1893

Oecophyllini Emery, 1895

• †Eoecophylla Archibald et al., 2024

• Oecophylla Smith, 1860

Plagiolepidini Forel, 1886

• Acropyga Roger, 1862

• Agraulomyrmex Prins, 1983

• Anoplolepis Santschi, 1914

• Aphomomyrmex Emery, 1899

• Bregmatomyrma Wheeler, 1929

• Lepisiota Santschi, 1926

• Petalomyrmex Snelling, 1979

• Plagiolepis Mayr, 1861

• Tapinolepis Emery, 1925

Santschiellini Forel, 1917

• Santschiella Forel, 1916

incertae sedis

• †Attopsis Heer, 1850

• †Estevia Fisher, 2025

• †Leucotaphus Donisthorpe, 1920

• †Liaoformica Hong, 2002

• †Longiformica Hong, 2002

• †Magnogasterites Hong, 2002

• †Orbicapitia Hong, 2002

• †Ovalicapito Hong, 2002

• †Ovaligastrula Hong, 2002

• †Protrechina Wilson, 1985

• †Sinoformica Hong, 2002

• †Sinotenuicapito Hong, 2002

References

External links