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The generic classification of the ant subfamily Dorylinae is revised, with the aim of facilitating identification of easily-diagnosable monophyletic genera. The new classification is based on recent molecular phylogenetic evidence and a critical reappraisal of doryline morphology. New keys and diagnoses based on workers and males are provided, along with reviews of natural history and phylogenetic relationships, distribution maps, and a list of valid species for each lineage. Twenty-eight genera (27 extant and 1 extinct) are recognized within the subfamily, an increase from 20 in the previous classification scheme. Species classified in the polyphyletic Cerapachys and Sphinctomyrmex prior to this publication are here distributed among 9 and 3 different genera, respectively. Amyrmex and Asphinctanilloides are synonymized under Leptanilloides and the currently recognized subgenera are synonymized for Dorylus. No tribal classification is proposed for the subfamily, but several apparently monophyletic genus-groups are discussed. Valid generic names recognized here include: Acanthostichus (= Ctenopyga), Aenictogiton, Aenictus (= Paraenictus, Typhlatta), Cerapachys (= Ceratopachys), Cheliomyrmex, Chrysapace gen. rev., Cylindromyrmex (= Holcoponera, Hypocylindromyrmex, Metacylindromyrmex), Dorylus (= Alaopone syn. n., Anomma syn. n., Cosmaecetes, Dichthadia syn. n., Rhogmus syn. n., Shuckardia, Sphecomyrmex, Sphegomyrmex, Typhlopone syn. n.), Eburopone gen. n., Eciton (= Camptognatha, Holopone, Mayromyrmex), Eusphinctus gen. rev., Labidus (= Nycteresia, Pseudodichthadia), Leptanilloides (= Amyrmex syn. n., Asphinctanilloides syn. n.), Lioponera gen. rev. (= Neophyracaces syn. n., Phyracaces syn. n.), Lividopone, Neivamyrmex (= Acamatus, Woitkowskia), Neocerapachys gen. n., Nomamyrmex, Ooceraea gen. rev. (= Cysias syn. n.), Parasyscia gen. rev., †Procerapachys, Simopone, Sphinctomyrmex, Syscia gen. rev., Tanipone, Vicinopone, Yunodorylus gen. rev., Zasphinctus gen. rev. (= Aethiopopone syn. n., Nothosphinctus syn. n.).

Host-symbiont interactions are embedded in ecological communities and range from unspecific to highly specific relationships. Army ants and their arthropod guests represent a fascinating example of species-rich host-symbiont associations where host specificity ranges across the entire generalist - specialist continuum. In the present study, we compared the behavioral and chemical integration mechanisms of two extremes of the generalist - specialist continuum: generalist ant-predators in the genus Tetradonia (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Athetini), and specialist ant-mimics in the genera Ecitomorpha and Ecitophya (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Ecitocharini). Similar to a previous study of Tetradonia beetles, we combined DNA barcoding with morphological studies to define species boundaries in ant-mimicking beetles. This approach found four ant-mimicking species at our study site at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. Community sampling of Eciton army ant parasites revealed that ant-mimicking beetles were perfect host specialists, each beetle species being associated with a single Eciton species. These specialists were seamlessly integrated into the host colony, while generalists avoided physical contact to host ants in behavioral assays. Analysis of the ants’ nestmate recognition cues, i.e. cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), showed close similarity in CHC composition and CHC concentration between specialists and Eciton burchellii foreli host ants. On the contrary, the chemical profiles of generalists matched host profiles less well, indicating that high accuracy in chemical host resemblance is only accomplished by socially integrated species. Considering the interplay between behavior, morphology, and cuticular chemistry, specialists but not generalists have cracked the ants’ social code with respect to various sensory modalities. Our results support the long-standing idea that the evolution of host-specialization in parasites is a trade-off between the range of potential host species and the level of specialization on any particular host.

Army ants are widely recognized as keystone species in neotropical rainforests due to their role as important arthropod predators. Their large‐scale raids involve thousands of workers scouring the forest floor in pursuit of prey, primarily capturing other invertebrates. Up to 20 species of army ants coexist in a rainforest, and dietary niche differentiation has been proposed as a mechanism to alleviate competition among them. Based on only a handful of study sites, however, our understanding of the precise dietary preferences and the extent of niche differentiation remains notably limited. In this study, we aimed to expand our knowledge of army ant communities by resolving an Ecuadorian predation network consisting of 244 prey species and 13 army ant species representing the five known neotropical army ant genera: Cheliomyrmex, Eciton, Labidus, Neivamyrmex, and Nomamyrmex. We collected 2156 prey items from 180 army ant raids/emigrations, and of these, we identified 1945 prey items to the family level, 1313 to the genus level, and 664 to the species level based on morphological identifications and DNA barcodes. Prey consisted primarily of other ants (1843 prey items; 153 ant species), to the largest part ant brood (N = 1726). Hence, most army ant species chiefly plundered the nests of other ants, while the three swarm raiding species, that is, Lab. praedator, Lab. spininodis, and Ec. burchellii, exhibited a relatively high proportion of non‐ant invertebrate prey in their diet. The predation network showed a high degree of specialization (H2′ = 0.65), characterized by little dietary niche overlap among sympatric species. We compared the Ecuadorian network with one previously studied in Costa Rica and found that, despite the large geographic distance, prey preferences remained remarkably similar. We discovered species‐specific preferences for captured ant genera and species, despite some species turnover in both army ants and prey. Additionally, army ants also exhibited consistent spatiotemporal raiding preferences across study sites. In conclusion, predation preferences within army ant communities exhibited consistency in multiple niche dimensions across two distant neotropical rainforests, suggesting a notable level of predictability within army ant predation networks.

Army ants provide nourishment to a large variety of animals. This includes birds that feed on animals flushed out by army ant raids, symbiotic arthropods that consume the ants' prey or their brood, and other arthropods that scavenge on army ant refuse deposits. The latter have not received much attention, and the few published studies lack detailed species identifications. Here we provide a first systematic inventory of the beetle fauna associated with refuse deposits of Eciton army ants, with a focus on Eciton burchellii. We collected 8364 adult beetles, 511 larvae, and 24 eggs from 34 deposits at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. We used a combination of DNA barcoding and morphology to identify a subset of 436 specimens to species level. The samples included several new species, and we here formally describe two water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae). Refuse deposits harbored a diverse beetle fauna. The identified subset consisted of 91 beetle species from 12 families, with rove beetles being the most abundant and diverse visitors. Of the 85 species found with E. burchellii, 50 species were collected from only one or two refuse deposits. Conversely, seven species were found in 10 or more refuse deposits, indicating a certain level of habitat specialization. We matched adults and immatures for 22 beetle species via DNA barcodes, demonstrating that army ant middens also serve as a beetle nursery. The present survey highlights the significant ecological function of army ants as promoters of biodiversity and their status as keystone species in tropical rainforests. We used DNA barcoding to examine the beetle fauna associated with army ant middens. Middens served as a food source, a breeding ground and a nursery to a diverse assemblage of beetle scavengers. Our study highlights the key role of army ants as promoters of biodiversity.

The genitalia of male ants are interpreted in the context of the broader Hymenoptera. For the first time muscle homologies are established for twenty six species of ants in nine subfamilies: Amblyoponinae, Cerapachyinae, Dolichoderinae, Ecitoninae, Ectatomminae, Formicinae, Leptanilloidinae, Myrmicinae and Ponerinae. Fifteen muscles in total are found in the external genitalia of male ants and all are homologous with the musculature of basal Hymenoptera (Schulmeister 2001). Secondary fusion, reduction or losses of muscles have occurred in different lineages. From generalized to derived, the functional morphology and qualitative mechanics of three taxa, Formica obscuripes Forel 1886, Messor andrei Mayr (1886) and Labidus coecus Latreille (1802) are described and compared. Special reference is made to the Ecitoninae, where the work of Birket-Smith (1981) is reinterpreted and volsellar homology is clarified. The true digitus of Labidus is revealed to be a small sclerite at the base of the distal volsellar element whichis re-identified as the cuspis.

The doryline ant genus Eburopone Borowiec, 2016 currently contains only one valid species, E. wroughtoni (Forel, 1910) from southern Africa, with a considerable number of undescribed species awaiting formal description in the Afrotropical and Malagasy regions. In the present paper, Eburopone easoana sp. nov. is described based on workers and dealate queens from a colony series collected in an evergreen forest on the Dak Lak Plateau of Vietnam (Ea So Nature Reserve, Dak Lak Province). The worker of the new species is morphologically clearly distinguished from E. wroughtoni by the combination of following characteristics: i) frontal line distinct, extending a little beyond mid-length of cranium; ii) anterior (frontoclypeal) margins of torulo-posttorular complex not forming conspicuous lobes protruding over anterior clypeal margin in full-face view; iii) mandibles when closed in full-face view forming only a little space between anterior clypeal margin and mandibles; iv) promesonotal suture faint and inconspicuous; v) abdominal segment III in dorsal view distinctly wider than long, with lateral margins only feebly convex. This represents the first discovery of the genus Eburopone in the Oriental realm, revealing the disjunct distribution of the genus. A partial sequence of the mitochondrial COI gene (658 bp) is provided as a DNA barcode for the new species. A worker-based key to the doryline genera of the Oriental realm is also provided.

In June 1960, a young faculty wife named Alzada Kistner and her husband David, a promising entomologist, left their 18-month old daughter in the care of relatives and began what was to be a four month scientific expedition in the Belgian Congo.

Identification of priority areas for conservation is crucial for the maintenance and protection of biodiversity, particularly in tropical forests where biodiversity continues to be lost at alarming rates. Surveys and research on umbrella species can provide efficient and effective approaches to identify potential areas for conservation at small geographical scales. Army ants of the genus Eciton are keystone species in neotropical forests due to their major role as top predators and due to the numerous vertebrate- and invertebrate associated species that depend upon their colonies for survival. These associates range from the iconic army ant-following birds to a wide range of arthropod groups, some of which have evolved intricate morphological, behavioural and/or chemical strategies to conceal their presence and integrate into the colony life. Furthermore, Eciton colonies require large forested areas that support a diverse leaf litter prey community and several field-based and genetic studies have demonstrated the negative consequences of forest fragmentation for the long-term maintenance of these colonies. Therefore, Eciton species will not only act as umbrella for their associates but also for many other species in neotropical forests, in particular for those that require a large extent of forest. This review summarises past and recent accounts of the main taxonomic groups found associated with Eciton colonies, as well research assessing the impact of forest fragmentation on this army ant, to encourage the adoption of Eciton army ants as umbrella species for the identification of priority areas for conservation and assessments of the effect of disturbance in neotropical forests.

Tropical rain forests are rapidly cleared, fragmented, and degraded in sub-Saharan Africa; however, little is known about the response of species and even of key ecological groups to these processes. One of the most intriguing (but often neglected) ecological phenomena in African rain forests is the interaction between swarm-raiding army ants and ant-following birds. Similar to their well-known Neotropical representatives, ant-following birds in Africa track the massive swarm raids of army ants and feed on arthropods flushed by the ants. In this study we analyzed the effect of habitat fragmentation and degradation of a mid-altitude Congo-Guinean rain forest in western Kenya on the structure of ant-following bird flocks. Significant numbers of swarm raids were located in all forest fragments and in both undegraded and degraded forest. Fifty-six different species of birds followed army ant raids, forming bird flocks of one to 15 species. We quantitatively differentiated the bird community into five species of specialized ant-followers and 51 species of opportunistic ant-followers. Species richness and size of bird flocks decreased with decreasing size of forest fragments and was higher in undegraded than in degraded habitat. This was caused by the decrease of the species richness and number of specialized ant-followers at swarms, while the group of opportunistic ant-followers was affected little by habitat fragmentation and degradation. The composition of bird flocks was more variable in small fragments and degraded forest, compared to undegraded habitat in large fragments. The effect of habitat fragmentation on flock structure was best explained by the strong decline of the abundance of specialized ant-followers in small forest fragments. To conserve the association of army ants and ant-following birds in its natural state, vast areas of unfragmented and undegraded tropical rain forest are necessary.

A great variety of parasites and parasitoids exploit ant societies. Among them are the Mesostigmata mites, a particularly common and diverse group of ant-associated arthropods. While parasitism is ubiquitous in Mesostigmata, parasitoidism has only been described in the genus Macrodinychus . Yet information about the basic biology of most Macrodinychus species is lacking. Out of 24 formally described species, information about basic life-history traits is only available for three species. Here we formally describe two new Macrodinychus species, i.e. Macrodinychus hilpertae and Macrodinychus derbyensis . In both species, immature stages developed as ecto-parasitoids on ant pupae of the South-East Asian army ant Leptogenys distinguenda . By piercing the developing ant with their chelicera, the mites apparently suck ant hemolymph, ultimately killing host individuals. We compare infection rates among all studied Macrodinychus species and discuss possible host countermeasures against parasitoidism. The cryptic lifestyle of living inside ant nests has certainly hampered the scientific discovery of Macrodinychus mites and we expect that many more macrodinychid species await scientific discovery and description.