''Proformica'' is a

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 ...

. The genus is known from the

Palearctic realm The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...

, from

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

through

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Colonies In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...

are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a single

queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

( monogyne) or multiple

ergatogyne An ergatoid (from Greek '' ergat-'', "worker" + '' -oid'', "like") is a permanently wingless reproductive adult ant or termite. The similar but somewhat ambiguous term ergatogyne refers to any intermediate form between workers and standard gynes. ...

queens. Unique in the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

Formicini Formicini is a tribe of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. Genera * '' Alloformica'' Dlussky, 1969 * '' Bajcaridris'' Agosti, 1994 * ''Cataglyphis'' Foerster, 1850 * †'' Cataglyphoides'' Dlussky, 2008 * †'' Conoformica'' Dlussky, 2008 * ''For ...

, some species have specialized workers ("

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") gorged with food; they function as living storage containers.

Parasite host

Four species are host to

obligate {{wiktionary, obligate As an adjective, obligate means "by necessity" (antonym ''facultative'') and is used mainly in biology in phrases such as: * Obligate aerobe, an organism that cannot survive without oxygen * Obligate anaerobe, an organism that ...

slave-making ant Slave-making ants are brood parasites that capture broods of other ant species to increase the worker force of their colony. After emerging in the slave-maker nest, slave workers work as if they were in their own colony, while parasite workers onl ...

s in the genus ''

Rossomyrmex ''Rossomyrmex'' is a genus of slave-making ant in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus consists of four species, each with a single host from the genus '' Proformica'', and has a very wide range of distribution from China to southeastern Spain ...

'', with each species forming a coevolving pair: *''

Rossomyrmex proformicarum ''Rossomyrmex proformicarum'' is a species of slave-making ant in the subfamily Formicinae. It is native to Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It ...

''–''

Proformica epinotalis ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a single queen ( m ...

'' *''

Rossomyrmex quandratinodum ''Rossomyrmex'' is a genus of slave-making ant in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus consists of four species, each with a single host from the genus ''Proformica'', and has a very wide range of distribution from China to southeastern Spain, f ...

''–''Proformica'' sp. *''

Rossomyrmex anatolicus ''Rossomyrmex'' is a genus of slave-making ant in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus consists of four species, each with a single host from the genus ''Proformica'', and has a very wide range of distribution from China to southeastern Spain, f ...

''–''

Proformica korbi ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a single queen ( m ...

'' *''

Rossomyrmex minuchae ''Rossomyrmex minuchae'' is a species of slave-making ant in the subfamily Formicinae. It is native to Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto ...

''–''

Proformica longiseta ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a single queen ( m ...

Species

*''

Proformica alaica ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a single queen ( m ...

'' Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1926 *''

Proformica buddhaensis ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a single queen ( m ...

'' Ruzsky, 1915 *''

Proformica caucasea ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a single queen ( m ...

'' (Santschi, 1925) *'' Proformica coriacea'' Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 *'' Proformica dolichocephala'' Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 *''

'' Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 *'' Proformica ferreri'' Bondroit, 1918 *'' Proformica flavosetosa'' (Viehmeyer, 1922) *''

Proformica jacoti ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Ant colony, Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a sing ...

'' (Wheeler, 1923) *'' Proformica kaszabi'' Dlussky, 1969 *'' Proformica kobachidzei'' Arnol'di, 1968 *''

'' (Emery, 1909) *'' Proformica kosswigi'' (Donisthorpe, 1950) *'' Proformica kusnezowi'' (Santschi, 1928) *''

'' Collingwood, 1978 *''

Proformica mongolica ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Ant colony, Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a sing ...

'' (Emery, 1901) *''

Proformica nasuta ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a single queen ( m ...

'' (Nylander, 1856) *''

Proformica nitida ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Ant colony, Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a sing ...

'' Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1923 *''

Proformica oculatissima ''Proformica'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is known from the Palearctic realm, from Mongolia through Central Asia to Spain. Ant colony, Colonies are small, generally containing a few hundred individuals, with a sing ...

'' (Forel, 1886) *'' Proformica ossetica'' Dubovikoff, 2005 *'' Proformica pilosiscapa'' Dlussky, 1969 *'' Proformica seraphimi'' Tarbinsky, 1970 *'' Proformica similis'' Dlussky, 1969 *'' Proformica splendida'' Dlussky, 1965 *'' Proformica striaticeps'' (Forel, 1911)

References

External links

* Formicinae Ant genera {{formicinae-stub

Parasite host

Species

See also

References

External links