Project: Anomalous

Field Guides

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Specimens: 16,317
Images: 1,787

Subfamilies: 10
Genera: 17
Species/Subspecies: 27

Valid Species/Subspecies: 27

Ehab Abouheif, Mathieu Molet, Corrie S. Moreau, and Andrew S. Yang

Our goal for starting this database is to draw attention to intercastes, gynandromorphs, and other anomalies as a valuable source of data for understanding ant development and evolution. We hope this database will facilitate the systematic analyses of anomalies by collecting all of the currently dispersed data and images in one place.

What is an intercaste?

What is a gynandromorph?

What other anomalous phenotypes are possible?

List of ant species where anomalies have been described, with link to specimens on AntWeb.org

Click here.

How to contribute to the Anomalous Ants database on AntWeb.org

To submit your specimens to the database please send email to Ehab Abouheif at ehab.abouheif@mcgill.ca with 'Anomalies' in the subject line. In the body of the email specify the species name, locality, description, and any images of the anomalous specimen.

You will then be sent a form to fill out regarding details of the specimen and the address of where to send it. On this form, you can choose whether you wish to deposit your specimen to the collection of the Chicago Field Museum or have it returned to you. Your specimen will be pinned and imaged at the Chicago Field Museum. Images will be uploaded onto AntWeb.org and the Field Museum online database.

Your contribution will then be credited on AntWeb.org and FieldMuseum.org

Thanks for your willingness to contribute to the public database of Anomalous Ants.

Recent papers on the evolutionary and developmental significance of ant anomalies:

Yang and Abouheif 2011

Molet et al 2012