Subfamily Dolichoderinae Forel, 1878

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Introduction

This subfamily contains some of the most common and well-known species of Australian ants. Among them are the meat ants (in the genus Iridomyrmex), a group found throughout Australia (except Tasmania), often in very large numbers. Some of the rarer Australian ants are also in this subfamily. For example, Turneria rosschinga has been collected fewer than five times. A significant introduced pest, the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), is also a dolichoderine.

Most species of Dolichoderinae are general predators or scavengers. Many also tend Hemiptera to collect honeydew or are associated with caterpillars. Nests are found in a wide variety of locations, including in the soil, under rocks and other objects, in rotten and living wood, in termite mounds, and in cracks between rocks. Some species (in the genus Arnoldius) are thought to establish their nests by new queens invading the nests of other ants, killing the queen, and using the captured workers to help raise her own offspring.

Species of Dolichoderinae can be found in most regions of the world and in all major habitats. There are about 1000 described species and subspecies placed in 22 genera world-wide. Fifteen genera and approximately 200 species and subspecies have been described from Australia, with numerous taxa still awaiting description. Three of the genera, Doleromyrma, Froggattella and Nebothriomyrmex, are known only from Australia. The genera of this subfamily were revised by Shattuck (1992).

General References

Shattuck, S.O. 1992. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 21: 1-181

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