144 HYMENOPTERA CHAP. 



in amber. Formicides and Myrmicid.es are more abundant than 

 Ponerides, but this latter group has the larger proportion of 

 extinct genera ; conditions but little dissimilar to those existing 

 at present. 



Classification of Ants. Ants are considered by many ento- 

 mologists to form a series called Heterogyna. They can, 

 however, be scarcely considered as" more than a single family, 

 Formicidae, so that the serial name is superfluous. Their 

 nearest approach to other Aculeates is apparently made, by 

 Amblyopone, to certain Mutillides {e.g. Apterogyna] and to the 

 Thynnides, two divisions of Scoliidae. Emery considers Dory- 

 lides rather than Amblyoponides to be the most primitive form 

 of ants, but we are disposed to consider Forel's view to the effect 

 we have above mentioned as more probably correct. The point 

 is, however, very doubtful. The condition of the peduncle is in 

 both the sub-families we have mentioned very imperfect compared 

 with that of other ants. Both these sub-families are of very 

 small extent and very imperfectly known. We shall also 

 follow Forel in adopting six sub-families, Camponotides, Dolicho- 

 derides, Myrmicides, Ponerides, Dorylides, and Amblyoponides. 

 Emery rejects the Amblyoponides as being merely a division of 

 the Ponerides. This latter group displays the widest relations 

 of all the sub-families, and may be looked on as a sort of central 

 form. The Camponotides and Dolichoderides are closely allied, 

 and represent the highest differentiation of the families in one 

 direction. The Myrmicides are also highly differentiated, but 

 are not allied to the Camponotides and Dolichoderides. 1 



Sub-Fam. 1. Camponotides. Hind body furnished with but one 

 constriction, so that only a single scale or node exists on the 

 pedicel. Poison-sac forming a cushion of convolutions, on 

 which is situate the modified sting, which forms merely an 

 ejaculatory orifice for the poison. 



The members of this very extensive division of ants can be 

 readily distinguished from all others, except the Dolichoderides, 

 by the absence of a true sting, and by the peculiar form of the hind 

 body ; this possesses only a single scale at the base, and has no 



1 Forel's latest views on this subject will be found in the Ann. Soc. ent. Belgique 

 xxxvii. 1893, p. 161 ; the very valuable paper by Emery, in ZooL Jahrb. Syst. 

 viii. 1896, p. 760. 



