Myrmicaria

Hita Garcia, Wiesel and Fischer (2013) - Myrmicaria can be found throughout the Afrotropical, Oriental and Indo-Australian zoogeographical regions. In the Afrotropical region these ants seem to prefer open habitats where they can be locally quite abundant. They nest in the soil, and foraging is performed alone or in smaller groups (Levieux, 1983). Based on observations on one species (Levieux, 1983), members of the genus seem to be mostly carnivorous, with a diet consisting of a variety of insects, especially termites and ants and supplemented by homopteran honeydew.

Species richness
Species richness by country based on regional taxon lists (countries with darker colours are more species-rich). View Data



Nomenclature

 *  MYRMICARIA [Myrmicinae: Myrmicariini]
 * Myrmicaria Saunders, W.W. 1842: 57. Type-species: Myrmicaria brunnea, by monotypy.
 * Myrmicaria senior synonym of Heptacondylus (and its junior synonym Physatta): Smith, F. 1865: 73.
 * HEPTACONDYLUS [junior synonym of Myrmicaria]
 * Heptacondylus Smith, F. 1857a: 71. Type-species: Heptacondylus subcarinatus, by subsequent designation of Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 164.
 * Heptacondylus senior synonym of Physatta: Mayr, 1862: 755 (in text); Roger, 1863b: 27.
 * Heptacondylus junior synonym of Myrmicaria: Smith, F. 1865: 73.
 * PHYSATTA [junior synonym of Myrmicaria]
 * Physatta Smith, F. 1857a: 77. Type-species: Physatta dromedarius (junior synonym of Heptacondylus carinatus), by monotypy.
 * Physatta junior synonym of Heptacondylus: Mayr, 1862: 755 (in text); Roger, 1863b: 27; Mayr, 1863: 442.
 * Physatta junior synonym of Myrmicaria: Smith, F. 1865: 73.

Eguchi, Bui and Yamane (2011) - Workers of Vietnamese species have the following features. Worker monomorphic; head in full-face view oval or subrectangular with round posterior corners and straight posterior margin; frontal lobe in full-face view relatively large, completely concealing torulus; frontal carina indistinct or absent; antennal scrobe absent; median portion of clypeus with roundly convex anterior margin; posteromedian portion of clypeus broadly inserted between frontal lobe; median clypeal seta absent; mandible relatively narrow, with 4 teeth; antenna 7-segmented, gradually incrassate or with indistinct 3-segmented club; eye large and strongly convex laterad, located behind midlength of side of head in full-face view and relatively high on side in lateral view; mesosoma in lateral view short and high; promesonotum in lateral view a little higher than anterodorsal border of propodeum; promesonotal suture a weak or faint dorsal impression; anteroventral corner of promesonotum forming an acute angle or spine; metanotal groove weakly impressed; posterior slope of promesonotum and dorsum of propodeum margined laterally with a carina that connects with a well-developed propodeal spine; propodeal lobe absent; legs slender and long; petiole with long anterior peduncle and well-developed node; subpetiolar process absent; postpetiole in lateral view relatively long; gastral shoulder present; sting well developed.