Aneuretus

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Aneuretus simoni is the only species of Aneuretus and is the only extant member of the subfamily Aneuretinae. Long believed to be a basal lineages of Formicidae, molecular phylogenetics have shown the group is closely related to the Dolichoderinae (see the subfamily phylogeny).

At a Glance • Monotypic  

Identification

Sting (that may not be visible), single petiole with a long, narrow anterior peduncle, propodeum armed with a pair of spines. Major tibial spur of hind leg simple or with a few minute barbules. Palp forumula 3,4. Only known from Sri Lanka.

In the field workers resemble small yellow Pheidole minors in their morphology. Behaviorally they have a tendency to keep their long petiole folded up against their propodeum with their gaster slightly elevated.

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Distribution

Endemic to Sri Lanka.

Distribution and Richness based on AntMaps

Species by Region

Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.

Afrotropical Region Australasian Region Indo-Australian Region Malagasy Region Nearctic Region Neotropical Region Oriental Region Palaearctic Region
Species 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total Species 2840 1735 3042 932 835 4378 1740 2862

Biology

See Aneuretus simoni, the only extant species, for information about the biology of this genus.

Flight Period

All Flight Records for Genus

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Taxon Month Source Notes
Aneuretus simoni Jul Aug

Castes

The single extant species of the genus has dimorphic workers.

Morphology

Worker Morphology

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• Antennal segment count: 12 • Antennal club: gradual • Palp formula: 3,4 • Total dental count: 9-11 • Spur formula: 1 simple, 1 simple • Eyes: 11-100 ommatidia • Scrobes: absent • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: present • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: dimorphic • Sting: present • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: present


Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • ANEURETUS [Aneuretinae]
    • Aneuretus Emery, 1893a: cclxxv. Type-species: Aneuretus simoni, by monotypy.
    • [Aneuretus also described as new by Emery, 1893f: 241.]

References

  • Ashmead, W. H. 1905c. A skeleton of a new arrangement of the families, subfamilies, tribes and genera of the ants, or the superfamily Formicoidea. Can. Entomol. 37: 381-384 (page 384, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae)
  • Barden, P. 2017. Fossil ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): ancient diversity and the rise of modern lineages. Myrmecological News 24: 1-30.
  • Baroni Urbani, C. 1989. Phylogeny and behavioural evolution in ants, with a discussion of the role of behaviour in evolutionary processes. Ethol. Ecol. Evol. 1: 137-168 (page 147, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae, Aneuretini)
  • Baroni Urbani, C.; Bolton, B.; Ward, P. S. 1992. The internal phylogeny of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Syst. Entomol. 17: 301-329 (page 315, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini )
  • Bingham, C. T. 1903. The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Hymenoptera, Vol. II. Ants and Cuckoo-wasps. London: Taylor and Francis, 506 pp. (page 290, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae)
  • Bolton, B. 1990e. Army ants reassessed: the phylogeny and classification of the doryline section (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). J. Nat. Hist. 2 24: 1339-1364 (page 1361, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini )
  • Bolton, B. 1994. Identification guide to the ant genera of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 222 pp. (page 15, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini )
  • Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 80, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini )
  • Boudinot, B.E., Richter, A.K., Hammel, J.U., Szwedo, J., Bojarski, B., Perrichot, V. 2022. Genomic-phenomic reciprocal illumination: Desyopone hereon gen. et sp. nov., an exceptional Aneuretine-like fossil ant from Ethiopian amber (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). Insects 13(9), 796 (doi:10.3390/insects13090796).
  • Brown, W. L., Jr. 1973b. A comparison of the Hylean and Congo-West African rain forest ant faunas. Pp. 161-185 in: Meggers, B. J., Ayensu, E. S., Duckworth, W. D. (eds.) Tropical forest ecosystems in Africa and South America: a comparative review. Wash (page 169, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae, Aneuretini)
  • Burchill, A.T., Moreau, C.S. 2016. Colony size evolution in ants: macroevolutionary trends. Insectes Sociaux 63, 291–298 (doi:10.1007/s00040-016-0465-3).
  • Cantone S. 2017. Winged Ants, The Male, Dichotomous key to genera of winged male ants in the World, Behavioral ecology of mating flight (self-published).
  • Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
  • Chapman, J. W.; Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327 (page 181, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae, Aneuretini)
  • Clark, J. 1951. The Formicidae of Australia. Vol. 1. Subfamily Myrmeciinae. Melbourne: CSIRO, 230 pp. (page 16, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini (footnote))
  • Dlussky, G. M.; Fedoseeva, E. B. 1988. Origin and early stages of evolution in ants. Pp. 70-144 in: Ponomarenko, A. G. (ed.) Cretaceous biocenotic crisis and insect evolution. Moskva: Nauka, 232 pp. (page 78, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini )
  • Donisthorpe, H. 1943g. A list of the type-species of the genera and subgenera of the Formicidae. [part]. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 11(10): 617-688 (page 623, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae, Aneuretini)
  • Emery, C. 1893a [1892]. [Untitled. Introduced by: "M. C. Emery, de Bologne, envoie les diagnoses de cinq nouveaux genres de Formicides".]. Bull. Bimens. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 1892:cclxxv-cclxxvii. (page cclxxv, Aneuretus as genus)
  • Emery, C. 1893h. Voyage de M. E. Simon à l'île de Ceylan (janvier-février 1892). Formicides. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 62: 239-258 (page 241, Aneuretus also described as new)
  • Emery, C. 1895l. Die Gattung Dorylus Fab. und die systematische Eintheilung der Formiciden. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere 8: 685-778 (page 767, Aneuretus in Ponerinae)
  • Emery, C. 1896e. Clef analytique des genres de la famille des Formicides, pour la détermination des neutres. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 40: 172-189 (page 175, Aneuretus in Ponerinae)
  • Emery, C. 1913a [1912]. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Dolichoderinae. Genera Insectorum 137: 1-50 (page 6, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae, Aneuretini)
  • Fernandez, F., Guerrero, R.J., Sánchez-Restrepo, A.F. 2021. Sistemática y diversidad de las hormigas neotropicales. Revista Colombiana de Entomología 47, 1–20 (doi:10.25100/socolen.v47i1.11082).
  • Forel, A. 1895f. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part V. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 9: 453-472 (page 461, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae)
  • Forel, A. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 247, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae, Aneuretini)
  • Hölldobler, B.; Wilson, E. O. 1990. The ants. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, xii + 732 pp. (page 16, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini )
  • Jayasuriya, A. K. and J. F. A. Traniello. 1986. The biology of the primitive ant Aneuretus simoni (Emery) (Formicidae: Aneuretinae). I. Distribution, abundance, colony structure, and foraging ecology. Insectes Sociaux. 32:363-374.
  • Shattuck, S. O. 1992b. Higher classification of the ant subfamilies Aneuretinae, Dolichoderinae and Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Syst. Entomol. 17: 199-206 (page 201, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini )
  • Shattuck, S. O. 1994. Taxonomic catalog of the ant subfamilies Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Univ. Calif. Publ. Entomol. 112:i-xix, 1-241. (page 1, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini )
  • Snelling, R. R. 1981. Systematics of social Hymenoptera. Pp. 369-453 in: Hermann, H. R. (ed.) Social insects. Volume 2. New York: Academic Press, xiii + 491 pp. (page 400, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini )
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1910b. Ants: their structure, development and behavior. New York: Columbia University Press, xxv + 663 pp. (page 142, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae)
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1922i. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VII. Keys to the genera and subgenera of ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 631-710 (page 688, Aneuretus in Dolichoderinae, Aneuretini)
  • Wilson, E. O.; Eisner, T.; Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1956. Aneuretus simoni Emery, a major link in ant evolution. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 115: 81-99 (page 81, Review of genus; page 93, Aneuretus in Aneuretinae, Aneuretini )