''Myrmecocystus'' is a

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22 ...

s in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Formicinae The Formicinae are a subfamily within the Formicidae containing ants of moderate evolutionary development. Formicines retain some primitive features, such as the presence of cocoons around pupae, the presence of ocelli in workers, and little ...

. It is one of five genera that includes

honeypot ant Honeypot ants, also called honey ants, are ants which have specialised workers (repletes, plerergates, or rotunds) that are gorged with food to the point that their abdomens swell enormously. Other ants then extract nourishment from them, throug ...

s. Worker ants keep and tend

plerergate Honeypot ants, also called honey ants, are ants which have specialised workers (repletes, plerergates, or rotunds) that are gorged with food to the point that their abdomens swell enormously. Other ants then extract nourishment from them, through ...

s, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid in their abdomens to feed the colony during

famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, Demographic trap, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. Th ...

times. Some species engage in highly territorial tournaments, which can result in intraspecific slavery. During the raids, they carry off larvae, workers, and plerergates.

Species

*''

Myrmecocystus christineae ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Snelling, 1982 *''

Myrmecocystus colei ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Snelling, 1976 *''

Myrmecocystus creightoni ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Snelling, 1971 *''

Myrmecocystus depilis ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Forel, 1901 *''

Myrmecocystus ewarti ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Snelling, 1971 *''

Myrmecocystus flaviceps ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Wheeler, 1912 *''

Myrmecocystus hammettensis ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Cole, 1938 *''

Myrmecocystus intonsus ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Snelling, 1976 *''

Myrmecocystus kathjuli ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Snelling, 1976 *'' Myrmecocystus kennedyi'' Snelling, 1969 *''

Myrmecocystus koso ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Snelling, 1976 *'' Myrmecocystus lugubris'' Wheeler, 1909 *''

Myrmecocystus melanoticus ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Wheeler, 1914 *''

Myrmecocystus melliger ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Forel, 1886 *''

Myrmecocystus mendax ''Myrmecocystus mendax'' is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. It occurs in Mexico and Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultu ...

'' Wheeler, 1908 *''

Myrmecocystus mexicanus ''Myrmecocystus mexicanus'' is a species of ant in the genus ''Myrmecocystus'', which is one of the six genera that bear the common name "honey ant" or "honeypot ant", due to curious behavior where some of the workers will swell with liquid food ...

'' Wesmael, 1838 *''

Myrmecocystus mimicus ''Myrmecocystus mimicus'' is a North American species of ant in the genus ''Myrmecocystus''. The species is widely distributed, from Kansas south to Texas and Mexico, and west to California California is a state in the Western United St ...

'' Wheeler, 1908 *''

Myrmecocystus navajo ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Wheeler, 1908 *''

Myrmecocystus nequazcatl ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Snelling, 1976 *''

Myrmecocystus perimeces ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Snelling, 1976 *''

Myrmecocystus placodops ''Myrmecocystus placodops'' is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. References Further reading * Formicinae Articles created by Qbugbot Insects described in 1908 {{ant-stub ...

'' Forel, 1908 *''

Myrmecocystus pyramicus ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Smith, 1951 *''

Myrmecocystus romainei ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Hunt & Snelling, 1975 *'' Myrmecocystus semirufus'' Emery, 1893 *''

Myrmecocystus snellingi ''Myrmecocystus'' is a North American genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. It is one of five genera that includes honeypot ants. Worker ants keep and tend plerergates, which are other ants that store large quantities of nutritious fluid i ...

'' Bolton, 1995 *'' Myrmecocystus tenuinodis'' Snelling, 1976 *'' Myrmecocystus testaceus'' Emery, 1893 *''

Myrmecocystus wheeleri ''Myrmecocystus wheeleri'' is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. References Further reading * Formicinae Articles created by Qbugbot Insects described in 1971 {{Formicinae-stub ...

'' Snelling, 1971 *'' Myrmecocystus yuma'' Wheeler, 1912

Media

Natural World ''Natural World'' is a strand of British wildlife documentary programmes broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Two HD and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history series. It is the longest-running documentary in its genre on British televis ...

: Empire of the Desert Ants, BBC TWO 10 August 2011, 8 pm BST
information
about it on BBC Nature

References

External links

* Formicinae Hymenoptera of North America Ant genera Edible insects {{formicinae-stub