Ants of Zihuatanejo

SUBFAMILY DOLICHODERINAE

• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

• Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

• Insects (Class Insecta)

• Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

• Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies (Order Hymenoptera)

• Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees (Suborder Apocrita)

• Ants, Bees, and Stinging Wasps (Infraorder Aculeata)

• Superfamily Formicoidea

• Ants (Family Formicidae)

• Odorous Ants (Subfamily Dolichoderinae)

​

Dolichoderine ants are characterized by a single-segmented waist (petiole), the absence of a functional sting, and the production of defensive chemical secretions from specialized glands. Many species emit distinctive odours when disturbed, ranging from sweet and pungent to unpleasant. Members of this subfamily are typically omnivorous, feeding on nectar, honeydew, insects, and other organic materials, and many form mutualistic relationships with sap-feeding insects such as aphids and scale insects.