Proceratium

Proceratium
Proceratium google worker, holotype specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Proceratiinae
Tribe: Proceratiini
Genus: Proceratium
Roger, 1863
Type species
Proceratium silaceum
Roger, 1863
Diversity[1]
82 species
Synonyms

Sysphingta Roger, 1863

Proceratium is a rare genus of ants in the subfamily Proceratiinae.[2] It is the type genus of the tribe Proceratiini, which in addition to Proceratium consists of two even rarer genera: the extant Discothyrea and the fossil genus Bradoponera.[3]

Distribution

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The genus is rare, but widespread throughout the northern temperate and tropical zones.[4] In the Old World, it is distributed from Spain to Japan, in sub-Saharan Africa, Mauritius, the Malay Archipelago, New Guinea, Queensland (Australia) and Fiji. In the New World, it is known from Canada to Brazil (and some Caribbean islands).[3]

Biology

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Colonies are relatively small, usually containing less than 200 individuals. They nest in soil, in rotten wood, under stones, or on tree branches. Similar to its sister genus Discothyrea, some species are specialist predators of arthropod eggs, mainly spider eggs.[3]

Species

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P. eocenicum male

References

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  1. ^ Bolton, B. (2014). "Proceratium". AntCat. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Genus: Proceratium". antweb.org. AntWeb. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Baroni Urbani, C.; De Andrade, M. L. (2003). "The ant genus Proceratium in the extant and fossil record (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali Monografie (Turin). 36: 1–492.
  4. ^ Terayama, Mamoru (1985), "Description of a New Species of the Genus Proceratium Roger from Taiwan (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).", Asian Myrmecology, 53 (3): 406–408
  5. ^ Dlussky, G.M.; Rasnitsyn, A.P.; Perfilieva, K.S. (2015). "The Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Bol'shaya Svetlovodnaya (Late Eocene of Sikhote-Alin, Russian Far East)" (PDF). Caucasian Entomological Bulletin. 11 (1): 131–152. doi:10.23885/1814-3326-2015-11-1-131-152.
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