Ectatomminae

Ectatomminae
Rhytidoponera metallica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ectatomminae Emery, 1895
Diversity
12 genera 305 species 3 fossil genera 14 fossil species

The subfamily Ectatomminae is represented in Australia by two genera, Gnamptogenys and Rhytidoponera. Gnamptogenys is uncommon and restricted to Cape York Peninsula, Queensland while Rhytidoponera is one of the most common groups of ants in Australia. Gnamptogenys nests in rotten wood while Rhytidoponera generally nest in soil, with some species in rotten wood.

Identification

See images of genera within this subfamily

Keys including this Subfamily

• Key to Australian Ant Subfamilies
• Key to Subfamilies of North America
• Key to subfamilies of the Neotropical region

Keys to Genus in this Subfamily

• Key to Australian Genera of Ectatomminae
• Key to Neotropical Ectatomminae genera
• Key to Philippine Ectatomminae
• Key to Ectatomminae Genera

Statistics

Extant Taxa

Tribes	Valid Genera	% World Genera	Invalid Genera	Valid Species/Subsp.	% World Species	Invalid Species/Subsp.
2	12	2.3%	14	305	2%	173

Fossil Taxa

Fossil Genera	% World Fossil Genera	Valid Fossil Species/Subsp.	% World Fossil Species/Subsp.
3	1.7%	14	1.55%

Fossils known from: Baltic amber, Baltic Sea region, Europe (Bartonian, Middle to Late Eocene), Chon-Tyz mine, Naryn Province, Kyrgyzstan (Middle Miocene), Dominican amber, Dominican Republic (Burdigalian, Early Miocene), Foremost Formation amber, Alberta, Canada (Campanian, Late Cretaceous), Foulden Maar diatomite, New Zealand (Aquitanian, Early Miocene), Messel, Germany (Lutetian, Middle Eocene), Sicilian amber, Italy (Late/Upper Miocene).

List of Tribes and Genera

Tribes

Ectatommini • Heteroponerini

Extant Genera

Acanthoponera • Alfaria • Aulacopone • Bazboltonia • Ectatomma • Gnamptogenys • Heteroponera • Holcoponera • Poneracantha • Rhytidoponera • Stictoponera • Typhlomyrmex

Fossil Genera

Canapone • Electroponera • Pseudectatomma

Biology

Flight Period

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Flight Months for Genera within this Subfamily:

Taxon	Month
Acanthoponera
Alfaria
Anacanthoponera
Aulacopone
†Canapone
†Electroponera
†Pseudectatomma
Barbourella
Bazboltonia
Boltonia
Canapone
Chalcoponera
Commateta
Ectatomma
Electroponera
Emeryella
Gnamptogenys
Heteroponera
Holcoponera
Mictoponera
Opisthoscyphus
Paranomopone
Parectatomma
Poneracantha
Pseudectatomma
Rhopalopone
Rhytidoponera
Spaniopone
Stictoponera
Tammoteca
Typhlomyrmex
Wheeleripone

Morphology

Karyotype Data

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Known Haploid Counts: 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 34.

Haploid Count Details: 10 (Taxon: Typhlomyrmex meire), 10 (Taxon: Poneracantha triangularis), 11 (Taxon: Heteroponera relicta), 11 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 12 (Taxon: Heteroponera dolo), 12 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 13 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 16 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 16 (Taxon: Holcoponera pleurodon), 17 (Taxon: Holcoponera moelleri), 17 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 17 (Taxon: Typhlomyrmex rogenhoferi), 18 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 18 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 18 (Taxon: Ectatomma tuberculatum), 18 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 18 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 18 (Taxon: Typhlomyrmex rogenhoferi), 19 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 19 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera purpurea), 19 (Taxon: Typhlomyrmex rogenhoferi), 20 (Taxon: Ectatomma muticum), 20 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 21 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 21 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera chalybaea), 21 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 21 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 21 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera impressa), 21 (Taxon: Stictoponera menadensis), 21 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera victoriae), 22 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 22 (Taxon: Stictoponera binghamii), 23 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 23 (Taxon: Ectatomma permagnum), 23 (Taxon: Ectatomma edentatum), 23 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 25 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera mayri), 26 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera aciculata), 34 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys annulata), 8 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys).

Known Diploid Counts: 16, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 30, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 52, 68.

Diploid Count Details: 16 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 20 (Taxon: Typhlomyrmex meire), 20 (Taxon: Poneracantha triangularis), 22 (Taxon: Heteroponera relicta), 22 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 23 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 24 (Taxon: Heteroponera dolo), 24 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 24 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 24 (Taxon: Poneracantha triangularis), 26 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 26 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys regularis), 26 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys regularis), 30 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera tasmaniensis), 32 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 32 (Taxon: Holcoponera pleurodon), 34 (Taxon: Holcoponera moelleri), 34 (Taxon: Holcoponera moelleri), 34 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 34 (Taxon: Typhlomyrmex rogenhoferi), 35 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 36 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 36 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 36 (Taxon: Ectatomma tuberculatum), 36 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 36 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 36 (Taxon: Typhlomyrmex rogenhoferi), 37 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 37 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 38 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 38 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera purpurea), 38 (Taxon: Typhlomyrmex rogenhoferi), 39 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera maniae), 41 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 41 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 42 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 42 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera chalybaea), 42 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 42 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 42 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera impressa), 42 (Taxon: Stictoponera menadensis), 42 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera victoriae), 43 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 43 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 44 (Taxon: Holcoponera moelleri), 44 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 44 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera maniae), 45 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera maniae), 46 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys), 46 (Taxon: Ectatomma permagnum), 46 (Taxon: Ectatomma edentatum), 46 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 46 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera metallica), 46 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera maniae), 46 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera tasmaniensis), 47 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera maniae), 48 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera maniae), 50 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera punctata), 50 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera mayri), 52 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera aciculata), 52 (Taxon: Rhytidoponera lamellinodis), 68 (Taxon: Gnamptogenys annulata).

Phylogeny

Formicoidea

Camelomecia clade (unplaced to family) Camelomecia Camelosphecia Formicidae               Stem Formicidae Unplaced to subfamily (Baikuris, Cretomyrma, Dlusskyidris) Clade Sphecomyrmines Haidomyrmecinae Sphecomyrminae Zigrasimeciinae Clade Antennoclypeata Brownimeciinae Crown Formicidae               Leptanillinae Martialinae Amblyoponinae - see relationships Apomyrminae Proceratiinae Ponerinae - see relationships Agroecomyrmecinae Paraponerinae Dorylinae - see relationships Aneuretinae Dolichoderinae - see relationships Myrmeciinae - see relationships Pseudomyrmecinae - see relationships Formicinae - see relationships Ectatomminae - see relationships Myrmicinae - see relationships

See Phylogeny of Formicidae for details.

Nomenclature

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

• ECTATOMMINAE [subfamily of Formicidae]
  • Ectatommii Emery, 1895j: 767. Type-genus: Ectatomma Smith, F. 1858b: 102.

Taxonomic History

• Ectatommini as tribe of Ponerinae: Emery, 1895j: 767 [Ectatommii].
• Ectatomminae as poneromorph subfamily of Formicidae: Bolton, 2003: 45, 172.
• Ectatomminae as formicoid subfamily of Formicidae: Ouellette, et al. 2006: 365; Moreau, et al. 2006: 102; Brady, et al. 2006: 18173.
• Ectatomminae as formicoid ectaheteromorph subfamily of Formicidae: Ward, 2007a: 556.

Taxonomic References

Bolton, 2003: 45, 172 (diagnosis, synopsis); Ouellette, et al. 2006: 365 (phylogeny); Moreau, et al. 2006: 102 (phylogeny); Brady, et al. 2006: 18173 (phylogeny); Ward, 2007a: 556 (classification); Keller, 2011: 1 (morphology, phylogeny); Baccaro, et al. 2015: 76, 168 (Brazil genera key, text); Camacho & Feitosa, in Delabie, et al. 2015: 23 (phylogeny, taxonomy).

References

• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and classification of Formicidae. Mem. Amer. Entomol. Inst. 71:1-370.
• Borowiec, M.L., Moreau, C.S., Rabeling, C. 2020. Ants: Phylogeny and Classification. In: C. Starr (ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Insects (doi:10.1007/978-3-319-90306-4_155-1).
• Emery, C. 1895l. Die Gattung Dorylus Fab. und die systematische Eintheilung der Formiciden. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere 8: 685-778.