Ants of Zihuatanejo

SUBFAMILY FORMICINAE

• 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)

• Formicine Ants (Subfamily Formicinae)

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Formicine ants are distinguished by the absence of a functional sting and the presence of an acidopore, a specialized opening at the tip of the abdomen used to spray or apply formic acid and other defensive chemicals. Members of this subfamily range from tiny soil-dwelling species to large, conspicuous ants that dominate forest canopies and grasslands. Many formicines are omnivorous, feeding on nectar, honeydew, insects, seeds, and other organic materials, and numerous species maintain mutualistic relationships with aphids and other sap-feeding insects.