Anochetus
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Queen of an Anochetus species |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
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| Mayr , 1861 |
Anochetus is a genus of ants from the subfamily of the primeval ants (Ponerinae).
features
Like all ancient ants, these ants have a poisonous sting that they also actively use. The heavily modified mandibles in Anochetus are at least as powerful a weapon. Similar to the snap-jaw ants ( Odontomachus ), the mandibles are equipped with a powerful snap mechanism. They are greatly elongated, barely curved, and have only two or three inward-facing teeth at the tip. Sometimes there are also several, much smaller teeth on the chewing margin. The petiolar stigma is rounded at the top and can carry two thorns, but is not formed into a single point. The forehead is smooth and monochrome without any noticeable markings. Some species have a vaguely recognizable forehead groove.
Similar genera
Anochetus show a great morphological similarity to the closely related Odontomachus . However, these are somewhat larger and they lack the guest constriction typical of ancient ants. The petiolar stigma is also formed into a single point in Odontomachus . The snap- jaw mechanisms of the genera Anochetus , Odontomachus (both subfamily Ponerinae), Myrmoteras (subfamily Formicinae ), Strumigenys and Daceton (both subfamily Myrmicinae ) are the result of convergent evolution.
distribution
99 species are known worldwide. These ants are common in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. They avoid arid areas and, depending on the species, settle in savanna forests or rain forests . There is only one species in Europe , Anochetus ghilianii . This lives only in the extreme south of the Iberian Peninsula on the Strait of Gibraltar and islands further south.
Way of life
The colonies are quite poor in individuals and consist of no more than 100 workers. Usually underground nests are created, but settlements can also be found in the protection of lying wood or in termite nests. Anochetus feed on zoophag . When hunting, the animals move mainly in the litter layer and use their mandibles and sting to capture various arthropods .
Systematics
The following species belong to the genus Anochetus :
- Anochetus armstrongi McAreavey, 1949
- Anochetus bequaerti Forel, 1913
- Anochetus emarginatus Fabricius, 1804
- Anochetus faurei Arnold, 1948
- Anochetus ghilianii Spinola, 1851
- Anochetus graeffei Mayr, 1870
- Anochetus madagascarensis Forel, 1887
- Anochetus mayri Emery, 1884
- Anochetus neglectus Emery, 1894
- Anochetus paripungens Brown, 1978
- Anochetus rectangularis Mayr, 1876
- Anochetus turneri Forel, 1900
Synonyms
The following names are synonyms for the genus Anochetus :
- Myrmapatetes Wheeler, 1929
- Sternomyrmex Mayr, 1862
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Steve Shattuck, Natalie Barnett: Genus Anochetus. CSIRO Ants Down Under, accessed February 22, 2013 .
- ↑ Martin Vieweg: Whimsical snap mechanism decoded. On: Wissenschaft.de from August 31, 2017
- ↑ Anochetus Taxon Count. (No longer available online.) Hymenoptera Name Server, formerly the original ; Retrieved June 25, 2008 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Anochetus Mayr 1861 Fauna Europaea, accessed June 25, 2008 .
- ↑ CACollingwood, IHHYarrow: A survey of Iberian Formicidae . Retrieved June 27, 2008 .
- ↑ Hölldobler and Wilson : The Ants . Springer (1990) ISBN 3-540-52092-9 .
literature
- Bert Hölldobler , Edward O. Wilson : Ants. The discovery of a fascinating world. Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel - Boston - Berlin 1995, ISBN 3-7643-5152-7
Web links
- AntWeb pictures of different Anochetus species