Agroecomyrmecinae The subfamily
Agroecomyrmecinae represents two extant genera and two fossil genera, once widespread in both hemispheres during the early
Tertiary. The subfamily was originally classified as Agroecomyrmecini, a
Myrmicinae tribe until English
myrmecologist Barry Bolton raised the tribe to subfamily status in 2003.
Amblyoponinae The subfamily
Amblyoponinae represents nine extant genera and one fossil genus. Established by Swiss myrmecologist
Auguste Forel in 1893, these ants are specialist predators, distributed worldwide in the tropics.
Aneuretinae The subfamily
Aneuretinae represents one extant genus and eight fossil genera established by Italian entomologist Carlo Emery in 1913. Only a single species of this subfamily is extant, the
Sri Lankan relict ant (
Aneuretus simoni), endemic to
Sri Lanka.
Apomyrminae The subfamily
Apomyrminae contains the single genus
Apomyrma which only has one species, the rare subterranean ant
Apomyrma stygia from West Africa. Several undescribed species are known to exist, all from tropical Africa.
Brownimeciinae The subfamily
Brownimeciinae contains the single genus
Brownimecia which only has one species,
Brownimecia clavata. It was described in 1997 after a fossilised specimen was collected from
Cretaceous amber from
New Jersey, and was initially placed in the subfamily
Ponerinae.
Dolichoderinae The subfamily
Dolichoderinae was established by Forel in 1878, which represents 28 extant genera and 20 fossil genera. The subfamily presents a great diversity of species throughout the world, mainly in the tropics. Most species are generalised scavengers, but some are predacious.
Ectatomminae The subfamily
Ectatomminae represents four extant genera and three fossil genera, established in 1895 by Carlo Emery. They are distributed in tropical and warm climates in the New World and Old World, as well as the
Indo-Australian regions.
Formicinae The subfamily
Formicinae represents 51 extant genera and 30 fossil genera that are globally distributed. Established by French zoologist
Pierre André Latreille in 1809, the subfamily has more than 3,000 described species, placing it as the second largest ant subfamily. Despite this, the hyperdiverse genus
Camponotus is the most diverse group of ants in the world, with more than 1,100 species described.
Haidomyrmecinae The subfamily
Haidomyrmecinae contains 9 fossil genera of specialized ants described from Cretaceous ambers. The Subfamily was previously treated as the tribe Haidomyrmecini and placed within
Sphecomyrminae. The tribe was elevated to a subfamily in 2020.
Heteroponerinae The subfamily
Heteroponerinae represents three extant genera of ants, established in 2003 when
Barry Bolton divided the subfamily
Ponerinae into six subfamilies. These ants are known from the
Neotropics of Central America and South America while
Aulacopone relicta is from
Azerbaijan.
Leptanillinae The subfamily
Leptanillinae represents nine extant genera of ants, established in 1910 by Carlo Emery. They are subterranean ants from Africa, Europe and a single species known from Australia. Studies about their biology is minimal.
Martialinae The subfamily
Martialinae contains the single genus
Martialis which only has one species,
Martialis heureka. The ant was discovered in 2000
Amazon rainforest near
Manaus, Brazil. Described in 2008, the ant belongs to the oldest known distinct lineage to have diverged from the ancestors of all other ants. The notorious ant genus
Myrmecia is known for their venomous stings and aggression, which has caused several human deaths in sensitive people.
Myrmicinae The subfamily
Myrmicinae was established by Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau in 1835. It represents 142 extant genera and 36 fossil genera that are distributed globally. It is the largest subfamily of the Formicidae, with more than 6,758 species described. The
seed-harvesting ants and
fungus-growing ants are well known among the Myrmicines.
Paraponerinae The subfamily
Paraponerinae contains a single genus
Paraponera. This genus has two species, one of which was found in Dominican amber from the
Miocene. The extant species,
Paraponera clavata, is found in Central America and South America, and the pain from its sting is said to be greater than any other insect sting on earth.
Ponerinae The subfamily
Ponerinae was established by Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau in 1835, which represents 47 extant genera and 12 fossil genera. The subfamily is among the most diverse in the family Formicidae, with more than 1,000 species described. They are mostly distributed in the tropics and subtropics.
Pseudomyrmecinae The subfamily
Pseudomyrmecinae was established by M.R. Smith in 1952, They are found in
Africa,
Asia, Australia, North America and South America.
Sphecomyrminae The subfamily
Sphecomyrminae contains 9 fossil genera of stem ants. Most fossilized ants from Cretaceous amber were placed in this subfamily, however revisions in 2017 and 2020 removed several genera and added former members of the subfamily
Armaniinae. ==
Incertae sedis==