To identify an ant, the first step is to identify the Subfamily (a taxonomic grouping of similar species).
So, for the benefit of our North American readers, we will take North America as an example. Credit to MrILoveTheAnts. The common Subfamilies found in N. America are:
Amblyoponinae, Cerapachyinae, Dolichoderinae, Ecitoninae, Ectatomminae, Formicinae, Myrmicinae, Proceratiinae, Ponerinae and Pseudomyrmecinae.
Amblyoponinae and Cerapachyinae are very sparse. Amblyoponinae tend to be specialised predators, they have a stinger, and mandibles with well defined teeth.
Ecitoninae are rarely found Army Ants and easily recognised. They're almost completely blind and so have incredibly small eyes compared to the head.
Ectatomminae is unique for North America because there is only one introduced genus in it, Gnamptogenys. Notice the groves all over the body, the curved mandibles, how hard it is to tell if that's two waist segments or a malformed abdomen.
Proceratiinae is another unique looking family because all its members have specially shaped abdomens. These are discrete predators found almost exclusively in leaf litter, wood mulch, and, though common, one has to go well out of their way to find them.
Pseudomyrmecinae is easy because of how unique the ants look. The genus Pseudomyrmex is a good representative. Notice the huge eyes compared to the size of the head, the long slender bodies, two waist segments, and the fact that nearly all of them are associated with a plant.
Myrmicinae, always have two waist segment! They have also adapted the ability to consume starch, Seeds! These are all your Aphaenogasters, Monomorium, Temnothorax,
Tetramorium, Myrmica, Solenopsis, Messor, Pogonomyrmex, Pheidole! and so on. These are some of the largest genera in North America. They're our harvester ants and scavengers. Very diverse group of ants. They are also our Fungus growing ants Atta, Acromyrmex, and Trachymyrmex. They have stingers but cannot spray acid, nor do they produce odors. The closest thing they have to projectile warfare is Crematogaster using their flexible stinger like a paint brush to paint venom onto the enemy.
Ponerinae, these are the more common discrete foragers you'll find. The genus Ponera is a good representative. Though they appear to have one waist segment, I believe technically they have two. The one well defined waist segment they have is actually bulky and almost as large as the abdomen itself. The abdomen to most of these ants usually has an odd segment that allows it to be more flexible. (Boloponera is a good example of this but not found in North America) Queens in this group tend to be worker-like but can be different in size somewhat.
Formicinae, always have one waist segment! They have evolved to consume and store sugary foods. These are all the Prenolepis, Lasius, Formica, Camponotus, Brachymyrmex, Paratrechina, Myrmecocystus, Polyergus, and so on. These are the majority of the ants you see tending aphids, visiting flowers, they're collecting nectar and have the repletes to store it. See Here. The plates that make up the abdomen actually expand as their social stomach swells with food. The inner membrane of the abdomen actually expands and pushes the plates outward. (A similar thing happens with queen ants universally so don't confuse this with other subfamilies!) They don't sting but can spray venom, or sometimes formic acid. Spraying acid is usually done in open wounds as a secondary action to biting. Some Formica species are known for spraying venom wildly into the air when disturbed. As an oddity to this subfamily some Lasius are actually called Citronella Ants because they produce a lemony odour when disturbed.
Dolichoderinae, always have one waist segment! They have a lot in common with Formicinae because they look very similar. The main difference listed in "Urban Ants of North America and Europe" seems to be the tip of the abdomen has no hair around it. I don't like just leaving it there though so perhaps an expert could give a better difference between these two subfamilies. This group includes Dolichoderus, Dorymyrmex, Forelius, Tapinoma, and one or two others. They're odorous ants, though many of them need to be squished in order to produce the odour. Like Formicinae they can also spray venom but it has more instant potency. The term "Ant Mace" comes from Forelius ants spraying directly in the eyes of other ants. Their head shape and body textures also differ from genera in the Formicinae subfamily.
Tags: Frequently Asked Question | Keeping Ants | Morphology & Physiology
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