Dinoponera

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Dinoponera
Dinoponera quadriceps

Dinoponera quadriceps

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Hymenoptera (Hymenoptera)
Family : Ants (Formicidae)
Subfamily : Great Ants (Ponerinae)
Genre : Dinoponera
Scientific name
Dinoponera
Roger , 1861

Dinoponera is a genus of ants (Formicidae) from the subfamily of the ancient ants (Ponerinae).

features

The body of all ants from this genus is predominantly dark brown to black. The head shield ( clypeus ) is recessed in the middle in a wedge shape. To the side of the indentation, there is a protruding tooth on the front edge of the clypeus.

All species of this genus are very large and some are among the largest ants in the world with a body length of over three centimeters. There is no morphological queen caste , reproduction is carried out by one or more mated workers ( gamergaten ).

Dinoponera have the neurotoxin poneratoxin , which paralyzes insects and is extremely painful for humans.

Similar ants

In the past, this genus was understood as the sister group of Paraponera , with which it has many morphological similarities. However, according to today's genetic findings, Paraponera is not closely related to the ancient ants and forms its own subfamily Paraponerinae .

distribution

The six species are native to the Neotropic . They colonize more humid savannah areas and rainforests .

Way of life

The underground nests usually consist of a maximum of 100 individuals, with some species only about 30. Colonies are always established by splitting off. The majority of the adult animals move into a new nest with part of the brood. The initiating ants recruit additional workers for the tandem run with the help of tactile communication. Other members of the old colony are also carried. Sex animals emerge from the brood left behind, so that the old colony can continue to exist.

The animals eat exclusively zoophag . They hunt alone and do not recruit nest mates to search for food.

Systematics

The following species (and subspecies) make up the genus Dinoponera :

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hölldobler and Wilson : The Ants . Pp. 69-71. Springer (1990) ISBN 3-540-52092-9
  2. ↑ Randy C. Morgan: NATURAL HISTORY NOTES AND HUSBANDRY OF THE PERUVIAN GIANT ANT DINOPONERA LONGIPES. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on November 13, 2012 ; Retrieved June 23, 2008 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sasionline.org
  3. ^ A b Haddad Junior, Vidal, João Luiz Costa Cardoso, and Roberto Henrique Pinto Moraes. "Description of an injury in a human caused by a false tocandira (Dinoponera gigantea, Perty, 1833) with a revision on folkloric, pharmacological and clinical aspects of the giant ants of the genera Paraponera and Dinoponera (sub-family Ponerinae)." Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 47, No. 4, 2005, pp. 235-238.
  4. ↑ Paloma L. Sousa, Yves Quinet, Edson L. Ponte, Jaqueline F. do Vale, Alba Fabíola C. Torres, Maria G. Pereira, Ana Maria S. Assreuy: Venom's antinociceptive property in the primitive ant Dinoponera quadriceps. In: Journal of Ethnopharmacology 144, No. 1, 2012, pp. 213-216, doi : 10.1016 / j.jep.2012.08.033 .
  5. ↑ Stephen R. Johnson, Julio A. Copello, M. Steven Evans, Andrew V. Suarez: A biochemical characterization of the major peptides from the venom of the giant neotropical hunting ant Dinoponera australis. In: Toxicon 55, No. 4, 2010, pp. 702-710, doi : 10.1016 / j.toxicon.2009.10.021 .
  6. ↑ Bolton, B .: Synopsis and classification of Formicidae in Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute , Volume 71, 2003, pp. 1-370.
  7. ↑ Dinoponera Taxon Count. (No longer available online.) Hymenoptera Name Server, formerly the original ; Retrieved June 24, 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.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu  
  8. ↑ a b Randy C. Morgan: GIANT PERUVIAN DINOSAUR ANT BIOLOGY, HUSBANDRY AND DISPLAY. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on June 26, 2008 ; Retrieved June 23, 2008 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sasionline.org
  9. ↑ Dinoponera. Tree Of Life web project, accessed June 24, 2008 .

literature

Web links

  • AntWeb pictures of different Dinoponera species