''Aenictus'' is a large
army ant
The name army ant (or legionary ant or ''marabunta'') is applied to over 200 ant species in different lineages. Because of their aggressive predatory foraging groups, known as "raids", a huge number of ants forage simultaneously over a limi ...
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
distributed in the
Old World tropics
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referr ...
and
subtropics.
It contains about 181 species,
making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Biology and distribution
The genus presently has 181 species,
distributed through the East
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
,
Afrotropical,
Oriental,
Indo-Australian, and
Australian regions.
[Brown WL Jr. (2000) Diversity of ants. In: Agosti et al. (Eds) Ants. standard methods for measuring and monitoring biodiversity. Biological diversity hand book series. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London, 280 pp.] Most of the species are
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
,
with terrestrial habitats, foraging in soil,
leaf litter
Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that have fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituent ...
, most of the
Southeast Asian species forage on the ground, and some on trees
and hunting other ant species and termites.
Most species of the genus are specialized predators of other ants, especially of immature stages.
[Gotwald WH (1995) Army ants: the Biology of Social Predation. Cornell University Press, New York, 320 pp.][Rościszewski M, Maschwitz U (1994) Prey specialization of army ants of the genus Aenictus in Malaysia. Andrias 13: 179-187.] Only some Asian species such as ''
Aenictus gracilis'', ''
Aenictus laeviceps
''Aenictus'' is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Biology and distribution
The genus presently has 181 species, distri ...
'', ''
Aenictus hodgsoni
''Aenictus'' is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Biology and distribution
The genus presently has 181 species, distri ...
'', and ''
Aenictus paradentatus
''Aenictus'' is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Biology and distribution
The genus presently has 181 species, distri ...
'' are known to hunt a variety of invertebrate prey, including ants, using a large number of workers in raids.
[Jaitrong W, Yamane Sk (2011) Synopsis of Aenictus species groups and revision of the A. currax and A. laeviceps groups in the eastern Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Aenictinae). Zootaxa 3128: 1-46.] Foraging raids undertaken by these ants occur both day and night, usually across the ground surface but occasionally also in trees. During raids, numerous workers attack ant nests in a small area, with several workers coordinating their efforts to carry large prey items back to the nest or
bivouac.
Species of ''Aenictus'' are generally small, monomorphic and yellow to dark brown.
Species
*''
Aenictus acerbus
''Aenictus'' is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Biology and distribution
The genus presently has 181 species, distri ...
''
Shattuck, 2008
*''
Aenictus aitkenii
''Aenictus aitkenii'' is a species of reddish brown army ant found in India, and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), ...
''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus alluaudi''
Santschi, 1910
*''
Aenictus alticola''
Wheeler, 1930
*''
Aenictus ambiguus''
Shuckard, 1840
*''
Aenictus anceps''
Forel, 1910
*''
Aenictus annae''
Forel, 1911
*''
Aenictus appressipilosus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus arabicus''
Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012
*''
Aenictus aratus''
Forel, 1900
*''
Aenictus artipus''
Wilson, 1964
*''
Aenictus arya''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus asantei''
Campione, Novak & Gotwald, 1983
*''
Aenictus asperivalvus''
Santschi, 1919
*''
Aenictus bakeri''
Menozzi, 1925
*''
Aenictus baliensis''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus bayoni''
Menozzi, 1932
*''
Aenictus binghami''
Forel, 1900
*''
Aenictus biroi''
Forel, 1907
*''
Aenictus bobaiensis''
Zhou & Chen, 1999
*''
Aenictus bodongjaya''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2011
*''
Aenictus bottegoi''
Emery, 1899
*''
Aenictus brazzai''
Santschi, 1910
*''
Aenictus breviceps''
Forel, 1912
*''
Aenictus brevicornis''
(Mayr, 1879)
*''
Aenictus brevinodus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2011
*''
Aenictus brevipodus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus buttelreepeni''
Forel, 1913
*''
Aenictus buttgenbachi''
Forel, 1913
*''
Aenictus camposi''
Wheeler & Chapman, 1925
*''
Aenictus carolianus''
Zettel & Sorger, 2010
*''
Aenictus certus''
Westwood, 1842
*''
Aenictus ceylonicus
''Aenictus ceylonicus'' is a species of reddish brown army ant found in Southern India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and Australia. They are completely blind and around 3 mm in length. These ants are seen foraging underneath leaf litter in for ...
''
(Mayr, 1866)
*''
Aenictus changmaianus''
Terayama & Kubota, 1993
*''
Aenictus chapmani''
Wilson, 1964
*''
Aenictus clavatus''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus clavitibia''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus concavus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus congolensis''
Santschi, 1911
*''
Aenictus cornutus''
Forel, 1900
*''
Aenictus crucifer''
Santschi, 1914
*''
Aenictus currax''
Emery, 1900
*''
Aenictus cylindripetiolus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus decolor''
(Mayr, 1879)
*''
Aenictus dentatus''
Forel, 1911
*''
Aenictus diclops''
Shattuck, 2008
*''
Aenictus dlusskyi''
Arnol'di, 1968
*''
Aenictus doryloides''
Wilson, 1964
*''
Aenictus doydeei''
Jaitrong, Yamane & Chanthalangsy, 2011
*''
Aenictus duengkaei''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2012
*''
Aenictus eguchii''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus eugenii''
Emery, 1895
*''
Aenictus exilis''
Wilson, 1964
*''
Aenictus feae''
Emery, 1889
*''
Aenictus fergusoni''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus foreli''
Santschi, 1919
*''
Aenictus formosensis''
Forel, 1913
*''
Aenictus fuchuanensis''
Zhou, 2001
*''
Aenictus fulvus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2011
*''
Aenictus furculatus''
Santschi, 1919
*''
Aenictus furibundus''
Arnold, 1959
*''
Aenictus fuscipennis''
Forel, 1913
*''
Aenictus fuscovarius''
Gerstäcker, 1859
*''
Aenictus gibbosus''
Dalla Torre, 1893
*''
Aenictus glabratus''
Jaitrong & Nur-Zati, 2010
*''
Aenictus glabrinotum''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2011
*''
Aenictus gleadowii''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus gonioccipus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus gracilis''
Emery, 1893
*''
Aenictus grandis''
Bingham, 1903
*''
Aenictus gutianshanensis''
Staab, 2014
*''
Aenictus hamifer''
Emery, 1896
*''
Aenictus henanensis''
Li & Wang, 2005
*''
Aenictus hilli''
Clark, 1928
*''
Aenictus hodgsoni
''Aenictus'' is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Biology and distribution
The genus presently has 181 species, distri ...
''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus hottai''
Terayama & Yamane, 1989
*''
Aenictus humeralis''
Santschi, 1910
*''
Aenictus huonicus''
Wilson, 1964
*''
Aenictus icarus''
Forel, 1911
*''
Aenictus idoneus''
Menozzi, 1928
*''
Aenictus inconspicuus''
Westwood, 1845
*''
Aenictus indicus''
Bharti, Wachkoo & Kumar, 2012
*''
Aenictus inflatus''
Yamane & Hashimoto, 1999
*''
Aenictus itoi''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus jacobsoni''
Forel, 1909
*''
Aenictus jarujini''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2010
*''
Aenictus javanus''
Emery, 1896
*''
Aenictus jawadwipa''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus khaoyaiensis''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus kutai''
Jaitrong & Wiwatwitaya, 2013
*''
Aenictus laeviceps
''Aenictus'' is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Biology and distribution
The genus presently has 181 species, distri ...
''
(Smith, 1857)
*''
Aenictus latifemoratus''
Terayama & Yamane, 1989
*''
Aenictus latiscapus''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus leliepvrei''
Bernard, 1953
*''
Aenictus leptotyphlatta''
Jaitrong & Eguchi, 2010
*''
Aenictus levior''
(Karavaiev, 1926)
*''
Aenictus lifuiae''
Terayama, 1984
*''
Aenictus longi''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus longicephalus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus longinodus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2012
*''
Aenictus luteus''
Emery, 1892
*''
Aenictus luzoni''
Wheeler & Chapman, 1925
*''
Aenictus maneerati''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus mariae''
Emery, 1895
*''
Aenictus mauritanicus''
Santschi, 1910
*''
Aenictus mentu''
Weber, 1942
*''
Aenictus minimus''
Jaitrong & Hashimoto, 2012
*''
Aenictus minipetiolus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus minutulus''
Terayama & Yamane, 1989
*''
Aenictus mocsaryi''
Emery, 1901
*''
Aenictus moebii''
Emery, 1895
*''
Aenictus montivagus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2011
*''
Aenictus mutatus''
Santschi, 1913
*''
Aenictus nesiotis''
Wheeler, 1930
*''
Aenictus nganduensis''
Wilson, 1964
*''
Aenictus nishimurai''
Terayama & Kubota, 1993
*''
Aenictus obscurus''
Smith, 1865
*''
Aenictus orientalis''
(Karavaiev, 1926)
*''
Aenictus pachycerus''
(Smith, 1858)
*''
Aenictus pangantihoni''
Zettel & Sorger, 2010
*''
Aenictus paradentatus
''Aenictus'' is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Biology and distribution
The genus presently has 181 species, distri ...
''
Jaitrong, Yamane & Tasen, 2012
*''
Aenictus parahuonicus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2011
*''
Aenictus peguensis''
Emery, 1895
*''
Aenictus pfeifferi''
Zettel & Sorger, 2010
*''
Aenictus pharoa''
Santschi, 1924
*''
Aenictus philiporum''
Wilson, 1964
*''
Aenictus philippinensis''
Chapman, 1963
*''
Aenictus piercei''
Wheeler, 1930
*''
Aenictus pilosus
''Aenictus'' is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Biology and distribution
The genus presently has 181 species, distri ...
''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus pinkaewi''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus porizonoides''
Walker, 1860
*''
Aenictus powersi''
Wheeler, 1930
*''
Aenictus prolixus''
Shattuck, 2008
*''
Aenictus pubescens''
Smith, 1859
*''
Aenictus punctatus''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2012
*''
Aenictus punctiventris''
Emery, 1901
*''
Aenictus punensis''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus rabori''
Chapman, 1963
*''
Aenictus raptor''
Forel, 1913
*''
Aenictus reyesi''
Chapman, 1963
*''
Aenictus rhodiensis''
Menozzi, 1936
*''
Aenictus rixator''
Emery, 1901
*''
Aenictus rotundatus''
Mayr, 1901
*''
Aenictus rotundicollis''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2011
*''
Aenictus rougieri''
André, 1893
*''
Aenictus sagei''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus schneirlai''
Wilson, 1964
*''
Aenictus shillongensis''
Mathew & Tiwari, 2000
*''
Aenictus shuckardi''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus siamensis''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2011
*''
Aenictus silvestrii''
Wheeler, 1929
*''
Aenictus sonchaengi''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2011
*''
Aenictus soudanicus''
Santschi, 1910
*''
Aenictus spathifer''
Santschi, 1928
*''
Aenictus steindachneri''
Mayr, 1901
*''
Aenictus stenocephalus''
Jaitrong, Yamane & Wiwatwitaya, 2010
*''
Aenictus subterraneus''
Jaitrong & Hashimoto, 2012
*''
Aenictus sulawesiensis''
Jaitrong & Wiwatwitaya, 2013
*''
Aenictus sumatrensis''
Forel, 1913
*''
Aenictus sundalandensis''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus thailandianus''
Terayama & Kubota, 1993
*''
Aenictus togoensis''
Santschi, 1915
*''
Aenictus trigonus''
Forel, 1911
*''
Aenictus turneri''
Forel, 1900
*''
Aenictus vagans''
Santschi, 1924
*''
Aenictus vaucheri''
Emery, 1915
*''
Aenictus vieti''
Jaitrong, Yamane & Wiwatwitaya, 2010
*''
Aenictus villiersi''
Bernard, 1953
*''
Aenictus watanasiti''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus wayani''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2011
*''
Aenictus weissi''
Santschi, 1910
*''
Aenictus westwoodi''
Forel, 1901
*''
Aenictus wilaiae''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus wilsoni''
Bharti, Wachkoo & Kumar, 2012
*''
Aenictus wiwatwitayai''
Jaitrong & Yamane, 2013
*''
Aenictus wroughtonii''
Forel, 1890
*''
Aenictus wudangshanensis''
Wang, 2006
*''
Aenictus yamanei''
Wiwatwitaya & Jaitrong, 2011
*''
Aenictus zhengi''
Zhang, 1995
References
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External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q310045
Dorylinae
Ant genera
Taxa named by William Edward Shuckard