Crematogaster

Hita Garcia, Wiesel and Fischer (2013) - One of the most species-rich and widely distributed genera, with approximately 470 valid species and 300 subspecies (Bolton, 2012). Despite its cosmopolitan distribution, most species are found in the tropics. The extreme species richness together with the high intraspecific and geographical variability provides serious obstacles for the taxonomic understanding of this genus. Thus, it is not surprising that revisionary treatments are very scarce and have been thoroughly avoided in the past. Some regional faunas have been revised on genus or subgenus level (Buren, 1959; Longino, 2003; Hosoishi & Ogata, 2008, 2009; Blaimer, 2010, 2011). In tropical regions, most members of this genus are arboreal (Longino, 2003), although a minority of species nest and forage on the ground (Quinet et al., 2009; Hosoishi et al., 2010). Crematogaster can be found in a diversity of habitats, such as forests, woodlands, savannahs or shrublands (Blaimer, 2010) and they often play a dominant, aggressive and territorial role within the local ant fauna (Longino, 2003). Most Crematogaster seem to be highly generalistic and omnivorous (Longino, 2003), although the most important resource for many species is homopteran honeydew.

Identification
Crematogaster species can be difficult to identify. There are many parts of world where Crematogaster are quite abundant but the diversity and taxonomy of the genus is poorly known. A number of recent revisions have greatly improved our understanding of a few species groups and regions. Unfortunately there is no comprehensive revision that can provide any coherent accounting of the genus as a whole.


 * Malagasy Crematogaster Species by Subgenus and Species Group
 * Key to Crematogaster species groups of the Malagasy region
 * Key to eastern US Crematogaster
 * Key to western US Crematogaster


 * Key to Crematogaster degeeri group workers /  queens
 * Key to Crematogaster kelleri group workers / queens / males
 * Key to Crematogaster Physocrema species

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



Nomenclature

 *  CREMATOGASTER [Myrmicinae: Crematogastrini]
 * Crematogaster Lund, 1831a: 132. Type-species: Formica scutellaris, by subsequent designation of Bingham, 1903: 124.
 * [Type-species not Formica acuta, unjustified subsequent designation by Emery, 1912d: 272; this error repeated in, for example, Emery, 1914c: 39, Arnold, 1920a: 482, Emery, 1922e: 128, Gallardo, 1934: 4; Soulié, 1965: 78.]
 * Crematogaster senior synonym of Acrocoelia: Roger, 1863b: 36; Mayr, 1863: 404; Dalla Torre, 1893: 79 (see also Buren, 1959: 125; Kempf, 1972a: 81).
 * Crematogaster (as subgenus) senior synonym of Atopogyne, Colobocrema, Decacrema, Oxygyne, Nematocrema, Paracrema, Physocrema, Sphaerocrema, Xiphocrema: Blaimer, 2012: 52.
 * Subgenera of Crematogaster: nominal plus  Orthocrema. .
 *  CREMASTOGASTER Mayr, 1861: 74 (and many later authors), incorrect subsequent spelling. Discussion of spelling: Emery, 1912d: 272 (footnote); Wheeler, W.M. 1913a: 78; Donisthorpe, 1941f: 36 and Buren, 1959: 125.
 * ACROCOELIA [junior synonym of Crematogaster]
 * Acrocoelia Mayr, 1853a: 147. Type-species: Acrocoelia ruficeps (junior synonym of Formica scutellaris), by subsequent designation of Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 158.
 * Acrocoelia junior synonym of Crematogaster: Mayr, 1863: 404; Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 158; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 828.
 * Acrocoelia revived from synonymy as subgenus of Crematogaster: Emery, 1922e: 140.
 * Acrocoelia junior synonym of Crematogaster: Buren, 1959: 126.
 * Acrocoelia revived from synonymy as genus: Soulié, 1964: 398.
 * Acrocoelia junior synonym of Crematogaster: Brown, 1973b: 178. [The type-species of Acrocoelia and Crematogaster are synonymous, the generic synonymy is therefore absolute.]
 * TRANOPELTOIDES [junior synonym of Crematogaster]
 * Tranopeltoides Wheeler, W.M. 1922e: 10. Type-species: Tranopelta huberi, by original designation.
 * Tranopeltoides junior synonym of Crematogaster: Kempf, 1960c: 173.
 * NEMATOCREMA [junior synonym of Crematogaster]
 * Nematocrema Santschi, 1918d: 182 [as subgenus of Crematogaster]. Type-species: Crematogaster stadelmanni, by original designation.
 * Nematocrema raised to genus: Soulié, 1964: 398.
 * Nematocrema junior synonym of Crematogaster: Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990: 13.
 * Nematocrema subgenus of Crematogaster: Bolton, 1995b: 38.
 * Nematocrema junior synonym of Crematogaster: Blaimer, 2012: 249.