Gigantiops

A monotypic genus found in northern South America, Gigantiops destructor has garnered attention from tropical biologists due to their large eyed, large workers that leap around on the vegetation. These ants forage individually, have well developed jumping abilities and due to their keen eyesight are adept at avoiding capture by all but the most persistent myrmecologists.

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Identification
In full face view the eyes of the worker extend from the clypeal border to the posterior margin. The large eyes of this ant make it distinctive among all ants in the subfamily Formicinae.

Biology
See Gigantiops destructor, the only known species within this genus.

Nomenclature

 *  GIGANTIOPS [Formicinae: Gigantiopini]
 * Gigantiops Roger, 1863b: 11. Type-species: Formica destructor, by monotypy.

Ward (2016) - A molecular phylogenetic analysis shows Gigantiops as sister to Santschiella, a monotypic African genus, but support for this relationship is not strong, so we retain a separate tribe for Santschiella. Although both genera share distinctively large eyes, they differ markedly in configuration of the frontoclypeal complex, with the antennal insertions of Gigantiops being located close to one another and between the eyes (Bolton 2003).