

INDIGENOUS GENERA AND SPECIES. 65 



INDIGENOUS GENERA AND SPECIES. 



THE Formicidae or ants (also called Heterogyna owing to the ten- 

 dency of the female to assume different phases) form a natural 

 family which is divided into five subfamilies I Ponerinae Mayr, 

 ii Dorylinae Shuckard, in Myrmicinae Mayr, iv Dolichoderinae 

 Forel, and v Camponotinae Forel. 



Only four of these subfamilies occur in the British Isles ; these 

 may be distinguished as follows : 



Table of the Subfamilies. 



1 | Pedicel distinctly two- jointed in all the sexes 2 Myrmicinae. 



\ Pedicel not two-jointed 2 



2 | Gaster constricted between its two first segments 1 Ponerinae. 



(1) \ Gaster not constricted - 3 



3 [ Gaster with five segments visible from above ; anal aperture circular 



surrounded with a fringe of bristles 4 Camponotinae. 



(2) -! Gaster with only four segments visible from above ; anal aperture 



forming a transverse slit, not circular nor surrounded with bristles 

 \ 3 Dolichoderinae. 



Forel has estimated that considerably over six thousand species, 

 subspecies, and varieties of ants are known in the world ; this 

 number no doubt will be largely augmented by further descriptions 

 and discoveries. 



In Britain we possess thirty-three species (including those which 

 used to be called races or subspecies, and a few which many authors 

 still regard as such), and ten varieties. 



Subfamily Ponerinae Mayr. 



The subfamily Ponerinae comprises many different tribes, by 

 far the larger number of which are to be found in the tropics. 

 In Australia the Ponerinae become a dominant group, where they 

 may be compared with the marsupials and other characteristic 

 animals of that region. 



These are the most ancient and primitive forms of ants now 

 living, both in habits and structure ; their colonies are mostly 

 small, they are all predaceous and carnivorous, their pupae are 

 always enclosed in cocoons, and a well-developed sting is always 

 present in the worker and female. 



We only possess one genus in Britain Ponera Latreille the 

 species of which are found in the earth, under stones, in rotten 

 wood, and in vegetable refuse, in both the hot and temperate 

 regions of the whole world. 



In 1810 Latreille [Cons. Gen. Crust. Ins. 311 No. 443, 437 (1810)] 

 cited Formica crassinoda (Latr.) F., as the type of Ponera, but he 

 had already in 1805 [H.N. Crust. Ins. 13 257-8 No. 365 (1805)] 

 cited contracta as type. 



