Cerapachyini

The tribe Cerapachyini belongs to the subfamily Cerapachyinae. For a list of genera contained within this tribe see Cerapachyini genera, for species see Cerapachyini species.

Synopsis
Tribe CERAPACHYINI Cerapachysii Forel, 1893a: 162. Type-genus: Cerapachys. Taxonomic history Cerapachyini as tribe of Ponerinae: Forel, 1893a: 162 [Cerapachysii]; Forel, 1900c: 52 [Cerapachii]; Forel, 1900d: 328 [Cerapachii]; Forel, 1901c: 139 [Cerapachii]; Ashmead, 1905b: 382; Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 136 [Cerapachysii]; Emery, 1911d: 5; Wheeler, W.M. 1915h: 27; Arnold, 1915: 11; Forel, 1917: 239; Wheeler, W.M. 1918a: 215; Arnold, 1926: 191; Brown, 1975: 14; Dlussky & Fedoseeva, 1988: 79; Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990: 10. Cerapachyini as tribe of Dorylinae: Emery, 1895j: 765 [Cerapachyi]; Emery, 1901a: 36 [Cerapachyi]; Emery, 1904a: 116 [Cerapachyi]. Cerapachyini as tribe of Cerapachyinae: Wheeler, W.M. 1902d: 185 [Cerapachyi]; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 638; Wheeler, W.M. & Chapman, 1925: 50; Donisthorpe, 1943f: 620; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 17; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1985: 256; Bolton, 1990a: 67; Bolton, 1990c: 1357; Jaffe, 1993: 9; Bolton, 1994: 19; Bolton, 2003: 33, 139.

Junior synonyms of CERAPACHYINI

Lioponerini Ashmead, 1905b: 382. Type-genus: Lioponera (junior synonym of Cerapachys). Taxonomic history Lioponerini as tribe of Pachycondylinae: Ashmead, 1905b: 382. Lioponerini as junior synonym of Cerapachyini: Emery, 1911d: 6; Brown, 1975: 19 (no statement of tribe synonymy but all taxa included under Cerapachys); Bolton, 1994: 19; all subsequent authors.

Eusphinctinae Clark, 1951: 15 (diagnosis in key). Type-genus: Eusphinctus (junior synonym of Sphinctomyrmex). Taxonomic history Eusphinctinae as subfamily of Formicidae: Clark, 1951: 15. Eusphinctinae as junior synonym of Cerapachyini: Bolton, 1990a: 66; all subsequent authors. Genera of Cerapachyini: Cerapachys,  *Procerapachys,  Simopone, Sphinctomyrmex, Tanipone, Vicinopone.

Tribe Cerapachyini references Emery, 1911d: 6 (diagnosis, genera key); Arnold, 1915: 11 (South Africa genera key); Forel, 1917: 239 (synoptic classification); Wheeler, W.M. 1918a: 224, 239 (Australia genera, key); Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 639 (genera key); Borgmeier, 1923: 50 (Brazil catalogue); Wilson, 1959b: 39 (Melanesia fauna); Brown, 1975: 14 (diagnosis, genera key); Bolton, 1990a: 61 (abdominal morphology); Bolton, 1994: 19 (synoptic classification); Bolton, 1995a: 1038 (census); Bolton, 1995b: 10 (catalogue); Shattuck, 1999: 25, 60 (Australia, genera key, synopsis); Andersen, 2000: 33 (northern Australia, genera); Bolton, 2003: 33, 139 (diagnosis, synopsis); Bolton & Fisher, 2012: 7 (diagnosis).

Shared Characters of Cerapachyini

Bolton and Fisher (2012), treating the genera Simopone, Vicinopone and Tanipone presented the following regarding the tribe:

All three genera treated here fall into tribe Cerapachyini of the subfamily Cerapachyinae, as it is currently constituted, which is a member of the broader dorylomorph group of ant subfamilies (Bolton, 1990a, 1990b, 2003; Brady & Ward, 2005). Because of this the three genera treated here, together with all others in the tribe, share a suite of characters, the most important of which are listed below. As these characters are common to all genera of the tribe they are not duplicated in the diagnoses of the individual genera that are revised here.

1 Prementum not visible when mouthparts are fully retracted; prementum is concealed behind the labrum and lateral outgrowths of the maxillae that meet medially (worker, queen, male).

2 Antennal sockets very close to anterior margin of head; sockets horizontal, in the plane of the transverse axis of the head (worker, queen, male).

3 Promesonotal suture fused across the dorsum, the pronotum not capable of movement relative to the mesonotum; the suture-line itself usually very feeble to absent (worker, some queens).

4 Metacoxal cavities fully closed, without a suture in the annulus (worker, queen, male).

5 Metapleural gland orifice concealed beneath a ventrally directed cuticular flap or flange (worker, queen).

6 Propodeal spiracle low down on side of sclerite (worker, queen, male).

7 Propodeal lobes present (worker, queen, male).

8 Jugal lobe absent from hindwing (alate queen, male).

9 AII (petiole) sessile or subsessile (worker, queen, male).

10 AII (petiole) without tergosternal fusion; AIII (postpetiole) with complete tergosternal fusion; AIV presclerites may be fused but postsclerites always free (worker, queen, male).

11 Helcium attached at about midheight of anterior face of AIII (worker, queen, male).

12 Sternite of helcium large, bulging ventrally and visible in profile (worker, queen, male).

13 AIV with strongly developed presclerites (worker, queen, male).

14 Stridulitrum absent from pretergite of AIV (worker, queen).

15 Spiracles of AV–AVII exposed, visible without distension or dissection of the abdomen (worker, queen, male).

16 Pygidium large, flattened dorsally and equipped with marginal denticles, at least in part (worker, queen).

17 Sting large, functional (worker, queen).

18 Cerci (pygostyles) absent (male).

19 Genitalia completely retractile (male).

20 Hypopygium (subgenital plate) bidentate to biaculeate (male).