Amblyoponinae

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Hymenopterida
Ordo: Hymenoptera
Subordo: Apocrita
Superfamilia: Formicoidea

Familia: Formicidae
Subfamilia: Amblyoponinae
Genera (11 + 1†): Adetomyrma – Amblyopone – Apomyrma – Fulakora – Myopopone – Mystrium – Onychomyrmex – Opamyrma – Prionopelta – Stigmatomma – Xymmer – †Casaleia

In synonymy: Bannapone – Concoctio – Paraprionopelta
Name

Amblyoponinae Forel, 1893

Synonyms

Apomyrminae Dlussky & Fedoseeva, 1988

References

Dlussky, G. M. & Fedoseeva, E. B. 1988. Origin and early stages of evolution in ants. [In Russian.]. pp. 70–144 in: Ponomarenko, A. G. (ed.) 1988. Cretaceous biocenotic crisis and insect evolution. [In Russian.]. Moskva: Nauka, 232 pp. Reference page.
AntWeb - The California Academy of Sciences. Amblyoponinae
Bolton, B. (2003). Synopsis and classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 1–370.
Saux, C.; Fisher, B.L.; Spicer, G.S. 2004: Dracula ant phylogeny as inferred by nuclear 28S rDNA sequences and implications for ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Amblyoponinae). Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 33(2): 457–468. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2004.06.017
Yamane, S.; Bui, T.V.; Eguchi, K. 2008: Opamyrma hungvuong, a new genus and species of ant related to Apomyrma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Amblyoponinae). Zootaxa, 1767: 55–63. Abstract & excerpt

Amblyoponinae is a subfamily of ants in the poneromorph subfamilies group containing 13 extant genera and one extinct genus. The ants in this subfamily are mostly specialized subterranean predators.[1] Adult workers pierce the integument of their larvae to imbibe haemolymph, earning them the common name Dracula ant.[2]

Identification

Amblyoponinae is characterized by these worker characters: eyes small or absent, situated behind midlength of side of head; anterior margin of clypeus with specialized dentiform setae; promesonotal suture flexible; petiole very broadly attached to abdominal segment 3 and without a distinct posterior face; postpetiole absent; sting present and well developed.[1]
Systematics

The subfamily was formerly considered a tribe within Ponerinae, but was elevated to its own subfamily in 2003 when Barry Bolton divided Ponerinae into six subfamilies.[3]

Amblyoponinae Forel, 1893
Amblyoponini Forel, 1893
Adetomyrma Ward, 1994
Amblyopone Erichson, 1842
†Casaleia Pagliano & Scaramozzino, 1990
Fulakora Mann, 1919
Myopopone Roger, 1861
Mystrium Roger, 1862
Onychomyrmex Emery, 1895
Prionopelta Mayr, 1866
Stigmatomma Roger, 1859
Xymmer Santschi, 1914

References

"Subfamily: Amblyoponinae". antweb.org. AntWeb. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
"Systematic Entomology". Tales of Dracula Ants: The Evolutionary History of the Ant Subfamily Amblyoponinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Fisher, Brian L.; Cover, Stefan P. (2007). Ants of North America: A Guide to the Genera. University of California Press. pp. 57–58. ISBN 978-0-520-93455-9.

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: Bolton, B. (2013), "An online catalog of the ants of the world.", AntCat, retrieved 22 September 2013 Please check the source for the exact licensing terms.