Temnothorax
| Temnothorax | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Temnothorax unifasciatus worker | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Formicoxenini |
| Genus: | Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 |
| Type species | |
| Myrmica recedens Nylander, 1856 | |
| Diversity[1] | |
| 365 species | |
Temnothorax is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It contains more than 350 species.[2]
Biology
The workers of Temnothorax species are generally small. Colonies are typically monogynous, although facultative polygyny has been documented in several species. Colony populations are usually quite small, often with less than 100 workers. However, several studies have found colonies of some species to be widely dispersed with several to many satellite nests. Many species are arboreal, living within hollow stems, old beetle or termite galleries, or in galls. Temnothorax species appear to be trophic generalists, feeding on a wide variety of scavenged items, including the elaiosomes of seeds. None have been documented to be active or aggressive predators.[3]
Phylogenetics
Recent molecular phylogenetic studies show that the genera Chalepoxenus, Myrmoxenus and Protomognathus are nested within Temnothorax, and that the latter is distinct from the more distantly related genera Formicoxenus, Leptothorax and Harpagoxenus. Species in these 'satellite' genera live as social parasites within the nests of other species of Temnothorax.[3]
See also
- Temnothorax albipennis
- Temnothorax curvispinosus
- Temnothorax nylanderi
- Temnothorax pilagens
- Temnothorax rugatulus
- Temnothorax unifasciatus
References
- ↑ Bolton, B. (2014). "Temnothorax". AntCat. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ↑ "Genus: Temnothorax". antweb.org. AntWeb. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Snelling, R.; Borowiec, M.; Prebus, M. (2014). "Studies on California ants: A review of the genus Temnothorax (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)". ZooKeys 372 (372): 27–89. doi:10.3897/zookeys.372.6039. PMC 3909803. PMID 24493957.
This article incorporates text from a scholarly publication published under a copyright license that allows anyone to reuse, revise, remix and redistribute the materials in any form for any purpose: Snelling, R.; Borowiec, M.; Prebus, M. (2014). "Studies on California ants: A review of the genus Temnothorax (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)". ZooKeys 372 (372): 27–89. doi:10.3897/zookeys.372.6039. PMC 3909803. PMID 24493957. Please check the source for the exact licensing terms.
External links
Media related to Temnothorax at Wikimedia Commons