Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants. There are about 140 genera within the group, with the family being cosmopolitan. The pupa

Pupa

A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...

e lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting

Stinger (organ)

A sting, sometimes called a stinger in the US, is a sharp organ or body part found in various animals that delivers some kind of venom . A true sting differs from other piercing structures in that it pierces by its own action and injects venom, as opposed to teeth, which pierce by the force of...

. The petioles

Petiole (insect)

In entomology, the term petiole is most commonly used to refer to the constricted first metasomal segment of members of the Hymenopteran suborder Apocrita; it may be used to refer to other insects with similar body shapes, where the metasomal base is constricted...

 of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes. The nests are permanent and in soil, rotting wood, under stones or in trees.

Classification

The subfamily is divided into a number of tribes:

• Agroecomyrmecini
• Attini
• Basicerotini
  Basicerotini
  Basicerotini is a tribe of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae....
  
  
• Blepharidattini
• Cataulacini
• Cephalotini
  Cephalotini
  Cephalotini is a tribe of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Although they are wingless, biologists have observed them gliding. They will glide back to the trunk of their tree, which is much safer than the ground or water below. They are among a number of groups of gliding ants. They feed mainly on...
  
  
• Crematogastrini
• Dacetonini
• Formicoxenini
• Melissotarsini
• Meranoplini
• Metaponini
• Myrmecinini
• Myrmicariini
• Myrmicini
  Myrmicini
  Myrmicini is a tribe of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is not to be confused with the very similar sounding tribes Myrmecinini and Myrmeciini, which is in the subfamily Myrmeciinae. While the type genus of Myrmicini is Myrmica, that of Myrmecini is Myrmecia and that of Myrmecinini Myrmecina....
  
  
• Ochetomyrmecini
• Phalacromyrmecini
• Pheidolini
  Pheidolini
  Pheidolini is a tribe of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.-Appearance:The tribe of Pheidolini have a few distinguishing physical attributes: the promesonotum is domed, enlarged, and has a divided appearance. Also, the mesonotum is elongated posteriorly and the posterior portion is...
  
  
• Pheidologetonini
• Solenopsidini
  Solenopsidini
  The Solenopsidini, meaning pipe-faced, are a tribe of myrmicine ants with about 20 genera.-Genera:* Adlerzia Forel, 1902* Afroxyidris Belshaw & Bolton, 1994* Allomerus Mayr, 1878* Anillomyrma Emery, 1913* Bondroitia Forel, 1911...
  
  
• Stegomyrmecini
• Stenammini
• Tetramoriini
  Tetramoriini
  Tetramoriini is a tribe of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.-Characteristics:The Tetramoriini has the following derived characters:*Sting with a spatulate to pennant-shaped lamellate appendage that projects from the dorsum of the shaft...
  
  

In addition, several living and fossil

Fossil

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...

 genera are not placed in tribes. Their position is either placed incertae sedis

Incertae sedis

, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...

or, especially for fossil forms, too basal:

• Archimyrmex Cockerell, 1923
• Attopsis Heer, 1850
• Cephalomyrmex Carpenter, 1930
• Electromyrmex Wheeler, 1910
• Eocenidris Wilson, 1985
• Eoformica Cockerell, 1921
• Eomyrmex Hong, 1974
• Lenomyrmex Fernandez & Palacio G., 1999
• Promyrmicium Baroni Urbani, 1971
• Tyrannomyrmex Fernández, 2003

External links

• Pheidole megacephala, bigheaded ant on the UF
  University of Florida
  The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
  
   / IFAS
  Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
  The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
  
  Featured Creatures Web site