Anoplolepis

Anoplolepis
Anoplolepis gracilipes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Plagiolepidini
Genus:	Anoplolepis Santschi, 1914
Type species
Formica longipes
Diversity
15 species (Species Checklist, Species by Country) Anoplolepis gracilipes Specimen Label
Synonyms
Zealleyella Arnold, 1922

Hita Garcia, Wiesel and Fischer (2013) - Anoplolepis is a relatively small genus with only nine valid species (Bolton, 2012). Predominantly Afrotropical, with fewer species in the Malagasy and Oriental regions and some introduced in other regions. There is no modern revision available for this genus on an Afrotropical basis, although Prins (1982) presented a taxonomic treatment for the South African species. Unfortunately, he only provided a key to the queen and male castes. These formicines are epigaeic and active ants that forage on the ground or the vegetation. Their diet is comparatively variable since they feed on a variety of small arthropods but also on honeydew produced by aphids or coccids (Prins, 1982).

Identification

See images of species within this genus

Keys including this Genus

• Key to Australian Genera of Formicinae

 

Afrotropical species

A list of all the Afrotropical species with images Afrotropical species with images is available

Distribution

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	15	1	1	2	0	1	1	1
Total Species	2851	1736	3047	932	840	4391	1767	2925

Biology

Association with Other Organisms

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Species Uncertain

• An unknown species is a host for the eucharitid wasp Athairocharis vannoorti (a parasite) (Universal Chalcidoidea Database) (primary host).
• An unknown species is a host for the eucharitid wasp Athairocharis vannoorti (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (multiple encounter modes; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).

All Associate Records for Genus

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Taxon	Relationship	Associate Type	Associate Taxon	Associate Relationship	Locality	Source	Notes
Anoplolepis	host	eucharitid wasp	Athairocharis vannoorti	parasite		Universal Chalcidoidea Database	primary host
Anoplolepis	host	eucharitid wasp	Athairocharis vannoorti	parasitoid		Quevillon, 2018	multiple encounter modes; direct transmission; transmission outside nest
Anoplolepis gracilipes	host	cricket	Myrmecophilus albicinctus	myrmecophile	Indo-Pacific region	Hsu et al., 2020
Anoplolepis gracilipes	host	cricket	Myrmecophilus antilucanus	myrmecophile	Indo-Pacific region	Hsu et al., 2020
Anoplolepis gracilipes	host	cricket	Myrmecophilus dubius	myrmecophile	Indo-Pacific region	Hsu et al., 2020
Anoplolepis gracilipes	host	cricket	Myrmecophilus hebardi	myrmecophile	Fiji, Solomon Islands	Hsu et al., 2020
Anoplolepis gracilipes	host	cricket	Myrmecophilus mayaealberti	myrmecophile	Indo-Pacific region	Hsu et al., 2020
Anoplolepis gracilipes	host	cricket	Myrmecophilus pallidithorax	myrmecophile	Borneo, Sarawak	Hsu et al., 2020
Anoplolepis gracilipes	host	cricket	Myrmecophilus quadrispina	myrmecophile	Indo-Pacific region	Hsu et al., 2020
Anoplolepis gracilipes	host	cricket	Myrmophilellus pilipes	myrmecophile	New Guinea	Hsu et al., 2020
Anoplolepis gracilipes	mutualist	aphid	Aphis gossypii	trophobiont		Idechiil et al., 2007; Saddiqui et al., 2019
Anoplolepis gracilipes	mutualist	aphid	Pentalonia nigronervosa	trophobiont		Idechiil et al., 2007; Saddiqui et al., 2019
Anoplolepis gracilipes	mutualist	butterfly	Lampides boeticus			Obregon et al. 2015
Anoplolepis gracilipes	prey	tiger beetle	Cicindela duponti	predator	Western Ghats, India	Sinu et al., 2006

Flight Period

All Flight Records for Genus

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Taxon	Month	Source	Notes
Anoplolepis gracilipes	Apr	antkeeping.info

Life History Traits

• Mean colony size: 4000-millions (Greer et al., 2021)
• Compound colony type: not parasitic (Greer et al., 2021)
• Nest site: hypogaeic (Greer et al., 2021)
• Diet class: omnivore (Greer et al., 2021)
• Foraging stratum: subterranean/leaf litter (Greer et al., 2021)
• Foraging behaviour: cooperative (Greer et al., 2021)

Morphology

Worker Morphology

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• Antennal segment count: 11 • Antennal club: gradual • Total dental count: 6-9(0-2) • Spur formula: 1 simple, 1 simple • Eyes: >100 ommatidia • Scrobes: absent • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: absent • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: most monomorphic, several species polymorphic • Sting: absent • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: present

Karyotype

All Karyotype Records for Genus

• See additional details at the Ant Chromosome Database.

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Taxon	Haploid	Diploid	Karyotype	Locality	Source	Notes
Anoplolepis gracilipes	17	34		India; Indonesia; Malaysia; Sarawak	Goni et al., 1982; Tjan et al., 1986; Imai et al., 1983; Imai et al., 1984; Imai et al., 1985	as ''Anoplolepis longipes''

Phylogeny

Formicinae

Myrmelachistini ⊞(2 genera) ⊟ Brachymyrmex  (41 species, 0 fossil species) Myrmelachista  (69 species, 0 fossil species) Lasiini ⊞(11 genera) ⊟ Cladomyrma  (13 species, 0 fossil species) Lasius  (140 species, 23 fossil species) Myrmecocystus  (31 species, 0 fossil species) Metalasius  (1 species, 1 fossil species) Paraparatrechina  (43 species, 0 fossil species) Prenolepis  (21 species, 1 fossil species) Zatania  (6 species, 1 fossil species) Nylanderia  (157 species, 2 fossil species) Pseudolasius  (66 species, 0 fossil species) Euprenolepis  (8 species, 0 fossil species) Paratrechina  (5 species, 0 fossil species) Melophorini ⊞(9 genera) ⊟ Melophorus  (92 species, 0 fossil species) Stigmacros  (39 species, 0 fossil species) Myrmecorhynchus  (3 species, 1 fossil species) Lasiophanes  (6 species, 0 fossil species) Notostigma  (2 species, 0 fossil species) Notoncus  (6 species, 0 fossil species) Pseudonotoncus  (2 species, 0 fossil species) Prolasius  (19 species, 0 fossil species) Teratomyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species) Formicini ⊞(8 genera) ⊟ Polyergus  (15 species, 0 fossil species) Formica  (283 species, 69 fossil species) Iberoformica  (1 species, 0 fossil species) Bajcaridris  (3 species, 0 fossil species) Proformica  (33 species, 0 fossil species) Cataglyphis  (124 species, 0 fossil species) Rossomyrmex  (4 species, 0 fossil species) Gesomyrmecini Gesomyrmex  (7 species, 12 fossil species) Oecophyllini Oecophylla  (15 species, 16 fossil species) Plagiolepidini ⊞(9 genera) ⊟ Anoplolepis  (15 species, 0 fossil species) Tapinolepis  (18 species, 0 fossil species) Aphomomyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species) Petalomyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species) Lepisiota  (147 species, 0 fossil species) Plagiolepis  (78 species, 10 fossil species) Acropyga  (42 species, 1 fossil species) Agraulomyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species) Gigantiopini Gigantiops  (1 species, 0 fossil species) Santschiellini Santschiella  (1 species, 0 fossil species) Myrmoteratini Myrmoteras  (42 species, 0 fossil species) Camponotini ⊞(8 genera) ⊟ Colobopsis  (118 species, 1 fossil species) Opisthopsis  (20 species, 0 fossil species) Dinomyrmex  (2 species, 0 fossil species) Polyrhachis  (793 species, 1 fossil species) Camponotus  (1,504 species, 1 fossil species) Overbeckia  (3 species, 0 fossil species) Calomyrmex  (14 species, 0 fossil species) Echinopla  (39 species, 0 fossil species)

See Phylogeny of Formicinae for details.

Nomenclature

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

• ANOPLOLEPIS [Formicinae: Lasiini]
  • Anoplolepis Santschi, 1914b: 123 [as subgenus of Plagiolepis]. Type-species: Formica longipes (junior primary homonym in Formica, Formica gracilipes first available replacement name), by monotypy: Bolton, 1995b: 20.
  • Anoplolepis raised to genus: Emery, 1925b: 16.
  • Anoplolepis senior synonym of Zealleyella: Bolton, 2003: 96, 267.
• ZEALLEYELLA [junior synonym of Anoplolepis]
  • Zealleyella Arnold, 1922: 579 (diagnosis in key) [as subgenus of Plagiolepis]. Type-species: Formica custodiens, by subsequent designation of Santschi, 1926a: 14.
  • Zealleyella subgenus of Anoplolepis: Santschi, 1926a: 14.
  • Zealleyella junior synonym of Anoplolepis: Bolton, 2003: 96, 267.

References

• Agosti, D. 1991. Revision of the oriental ant genus Cladomyrma, with an outline of the higher classification of the Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Syst. Entomol. 16: 293-310. (page 295, 296, Anoplolepis in Formicinae [part in Oecophylla genus group, part in Pseudolasius genus group])
• Arnold, G. 1922. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part V. Myrmicinae. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 14: 579-674 (page 593, Anoplolepis in Camponotinae, Plagiolepidini; Anoplolepis as subgenus of Plagiolepis)
• Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 20, Formica gracilipes first available replacement name), by monotypy)
• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 96, 267, Anoplolepis as Lasiini; Anoplolepis senior synonym of Zealleyella)
• Boudinot, B.E., Borowiec, M.L., Prebus, M.M. 2022. Phylogeny, evolution, and classification of the ant genus Lasius, the tribe Lasiini and the subfamily Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology 47, 113-151 (doi:10.1111/syen.12522).
• 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).
• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 16, Anoplolepis in Formicinae, Plagiolepidini; Anoplolepis as genus)
• 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. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 249, Anoplolepis in Camponotinae, Plagiolepidini; Anoplolepis as subgenus of Plagiolepis)
• Prins, A. J. 1982. Review of Anoplolepis with reference to male genitalia, and notes on Acropyga (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 89: 215-247 (page 215, Partial revision of genus)
• Rabeling, C. 2020. Social Parasitism. In: Starr, C. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Social Insects. Springer, Cham. (doi:10.1007/978-3-319-90306-4_175-1).
• Santschi, F. 1914b. Voyage de Ch. Alluaud et R. Jeannel en Afrique Orientale, 1911-1912. Résultats scientifiques. Insectes Hyménoptères. II. Formicidae. Paris: Libr. A. Schulz, pp. 41-148. (page 123, Anoplolepis as subgenus of Plagiolepis)
• Santschi, F. 1926a. Trois notes myrmécologiques. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 95: 13-28 (page 13, Anoplolepis in Formicinae, Plagiolepidini; Anoplolepis as genus)
• 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 696, Anoplolepis in Formicinae, Plagiolepidini)