Aenictii

The subfamily Aenictinae contains a single genus (Aenictus) with approximately 140 described species and subspecies. They occur throughout Africa and east to China and Australia, with a single species known from Greece and Armenia. All known species are "army ants," that is, they forage using large raiding columns and have a nomadic life style. For additional details see Aenictus.



Worker of A. diclops from Queensland.



Worker of A. prolixus from the Northern Territory.



Worker of A. aratus from Queensland.

Identification
These ants can be recognised by the lack of compound eyes, the ten-segmented antennae, the mesosoma being attached to the gaster by two distinct segments, the petiole and postpetiole and the lack of frontal lobes which makes the antennal sockets completely visible when viewed from the front. The overall size is small and ranges from about 2.5 mm to 4.0 mm long.

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



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



Nomenclature
AENICTINAE [subfamily of Formicidae]
 * Aenictii Emery, 1901a: 36 [as tribe of Dorylinae]. Type-genus: Aenictus.
 * Aenictini: Ashmead, 1905b: 381 [emended spelling of suffix; as tribe of Ecitoninae].
 * Junior synonym of Ecitonini: Emery, 1910b: 28 (wrongly retained as such by Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1985: 256).
 * Revived from synonymy: Borgmeier, 1954c: 212 [as tribe of Dorylinae].
 * Aenictinae: Bolton, 1990c: 1358 [as subfamily of Formicidae].
 * Included tribe: Aenictini.
 * Included genus: Aenictus.
 * Genus incertae sedis in Aenictinae: *Eoaenictites.