Nearctic: California > Ecitoninae

Subfamily: Ecitoninae

Author: P.S.Ward , Revised: 9/28/2002

Taxonomic Hierarchy:

Subfamily: Ecitoninae

Identification:

These are the New World "army ants", whose workers can be recognized by the following features: (1) eye reduced to a single ommatidium or absent; (2) clypeus narrow (back to front), so that the antennal insertions are close to the anterior margin of the head; (3) antennal sockets not concealed by frontal carinae; and (4) pygidium simple, unarmed. In addition, the pronotum and mesonotum are fused into a single structure, and the sting is present and functional. The postpetiole may be present or absent. Most of these features, except the simple pygidium, are seen in some species of the subfamily Cerapachyinae (q.v.).

Notes:

Represented in California by a single genus (and about 10 species), the Ecitoninae are most prevalent in the Neotropical region. All are nomadic, predatory army ants.

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2010)

Ecitonii Forel, 1893a: 163. Type-genus: Eciton.

Taxonomic history

Ecitoninae as subfamily of Dorylidae: Ashmead, 1905b: 381; Ashmead, 1906: 23.

Ecitoninae as subfamily of Formicidae: Brown, 1973b: 166; Snelling, 1981: 392; Bolton, 1990c: 1357; Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990: 11; all subsequent authors.

Ecitoninae as dorylomorph subfamily of Formicidae: Bolton, 2003: 34, 142; Brady & Ward, 2005: 593.

Ecitoninae as formicoid subfamily of Formicidae: Moreau, Bell, et al. 2006: 102.

Ecitoninae as formicoid dorylomorph subfamily of Formicidae: Brady, Schultz, et al. 2006: 18173; Ward, 2007a: 555.

Tribes of Ecitoninae: Cheliomyrmecini, Ecitonini.

 

Subfamily and tribe Ecitonini references

Emery, 1895j: 765 (diagnosis); Ashmead, 1906: 23, 24 (tribes & genera keys); Emery, 1910b: 15 (diagnosis, genera key, catalogue); Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 138, 558 (diagnosis, North America genera); Forel, 1917: 240 (synoptic classification); Gallardo, 1920: 312 (Argentina genera, key); Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 634 (genera key); Borgmeier, 1923: 37 (Brazil catalogue); Smith, M.R. 1943f: 290 (U.S.A. males); Creighton, 1950a: 61 (North America); Borgmeier, 1955: 51, 57 (revision of subfamily, tribes key); Borgmeier, 1955: 79 (revision of tribe, genera key); Brown, 1973b: 166 (genera, distribution); Watkins, 1976: 6 (genera keys); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1976b: 46 (larvae, review & synthesis); Snelling, 1981: 392 (synoptic classification); Gotwald & Burdette, 1981: 78 (phylogeny); Watkins, 1982: 210 (Mexico genera, key); Gotwald, 1982: 167 (genera key); Baroni Urbani, 1984: 74 (genera key); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1986g: 17 (U.S.A., Nevada); Bolton, 1990c: 1357 (diagnosis, morphology, phylogeny); Brandăo, 1991: 392 (Neotropical fauna, synoptic classification); Baroni Urbani, Bolton & Ward, 1992: 317 (phylogeny); Jaffe, 1993: 13 (Neotropical genera, synoptic classification); Lattke, in Jaffe, 1993: 149 (genera key); Bolton, 1994: 38 (diagnosis, synoptic classification, genera key); Bolton, 1995a: 1039 (census); Bolton, 1995b: 11 (catalogue); Hölldobler, Obermayer & Peeters, 1996: 158 (metatibial gland); Palacio, 1999: 143 (Colombia genera, key); Perfil?eva, 2002: 1239 (venation); Palacio & Fernández, in Fernández, 2003d: 240 (Neotropical genera key); Brady, 2003: 6575 (phylogeny); Bolton, 2003: 34, 142 (diagnosis, synopsis); Brady & Ward, 2005: 593 (phylogeny); Moreau, Bell, et al. 2006: 102 (phylogeny); Brady, Schultz, et al. 2006: 18173 (phylogeny); Ward, 2007a: 555 (classification).

 

References:

Bolton (1990e, 1994); Borgmeier (1955); Gotwald (1971, 1982, 1995); Watkins (1972, 1976, 1985).

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