Paratrechina

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Paratrechina
Paratrechina longicornis

Paratrechina longicornis

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Hymenoptera (Hymenoptera)
Family : Ants (Formicidae)
Subfamily : Scale ants (Formicinae)
Genre : Paratrechina
Scientific name
Paratrechina
Motschulsky , 1863

Paratrechina is a genus of ants (Formicidae) from the subfamily of the scale ants (Formicinae).

features

Specimens of this genus have long, protruding hairs arranged in pairs on top of the pronotum and mesonotum . This means that two of these hairs always grow next to each other. The rest of the body is covered with short bristles. The workers are always very small and can reach heights of one to three millimeters. Instead of a sting, like all scale ants , they have an acid pore (acidoporus).

Way of life

Many species are not very picky about their nest location. They nest in dead wood , rotting piles of grass, under stones and in crevices and other cavities. Even short-term retreat areas are accepted and frequent nest moves are the rule. These unstable nests often only exist for a few days or weeks, which means that these species can react very flexibly to temporary food supplies.

The prey behavior is also similar. Newly discovered food sources are quickly adopted. Orientation is based on created pheromone trails and clear ant trails are formed. However, these opportunistic predators do not fight for their prey, but rather retreat if food competitors appear, in contrast to other more active genera, such as the fire ants ( Solenopsis ).

distribution and habitat

There are over 100 species worldwide . Representatives can be found on all continents (except in Antarctica ), but no species is native to Central Europe. Some species have meanwhile spread as neozoa far beyond their original range. Paratrechina longicornis , for example, is known worldwide and is a common pest ant in households in tropical areas. The twitching, choppy movements of the legs, which have earned them the nickname "Crazy Ants" in English-speaking areas, are striking.

Since the beginning of the 3rd millennium occurs Paratrechina - population in the State of Texas as a pest in appearance. There it is called "Rasberry Crazy Ant" (after its discoverer, the exterminator Tom Rasberry). This Paratrechina species was provisionally identified as Paratrechina pubens , but it may be a scientifically undescribed species or subspecies . The animals resemble Paratrechina longicornis , but have shorter antennae than this. They behave in a similar way to Paratrechina pubens . It is noticeable that the ants tamper with electrical devices and gnaw on the insulation and have already done some damage, for example in NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Systematics

The following species belong to the genus Paratrechina (selection):

Synonyms

The following names are synonyms for the genus Paratrechina :

  • Nylanderia Emery, 1906
  • Paraparatrechina Donisthorpe, 1947

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Genus Paratrechina. In: AntWiki. Retrieved July 20, 2013 .
  2. ↑ a b Hölldobler and Wilson : The Ants . Springer (1990) ISBN 3-540-52092-9
  3. ↑ Paratrechina. Tree Of Life web project, accessed May 26, 2008 .
  4. ↑ Exotic Texas Ant, Paratrechina sp. near pubens ( Memento of the original from July 14, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) 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. - Center for Urban & Structural Entomology. Texas A&M University, Department of Entomology @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / urbanentomology.tamu.edu
  5. ↑ Can Ants Eat Your Computer? - Slate

literature

Web links