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Biodec09 3(2) © Prof. T.C. Narenderan Trust for Animal Taxonomy Biosystematica http://www.tcntrust.org/journal.php ISSN: 0973-7871(online) ISSN: 0973-9955 (print) A Review of Extant Subfamilies, Tribes and Ant Genera in India THRESIAMMA VARGHESE Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India. ABSTRACT. More than a century old monograph” Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma – Hymenoptera – 2. Ants and Cuckoo-Wasps” by Bingham is still the guiding source for anybody who initiates taxonomic studies of Indian ants. However, over a century period, there are lots of changes in the status of many names, at the subfamily, tribe, genus and species levels, largely owing to several revision studies in many groups of the family Formicidae. In the recent past, across the world there are several remarkable endeavours in identifying the major clades of ants and to understand the relationships among them. In this review, the author has looked at some of those changes, which are pertaining to Indian fauna and the results are summarised below. Out of 5 subfamilies of the family Formicidae, mentioned in Bingham, 4 of them have valid status, while one of them is now known under a different name. Of the 79 genera mentioned, 53 of them are currently known to be present in India and retains the same name and valid status. Further, as per a recent approximation of ant species in India estimates 633 species of ants coming under 82 genera distributed across 13 subfamilies. KEYWORDS. Ants, Formicidae, subfamily, tribe, genera, and species. Introduction More than a century old, the precious book “Fauna of provided an extensive review on the current status of British India” on ant taxonomy by C.T. Bingham (1903) ant systematics. Recently, one more subfamily, is surely the beginning point for each and every person, Martialinae is added to the family Formicidae and who gets interested in taxonomy of the Indian ants. More proposed to be the sister lineage to all extant ants ever, it is still the guiding light for the beginners in ant (Rabeling et al., 2008). taxonomy. More over, revisions of majority of subfamilies, But over the years, the developments occurred in genera and species groups have been carried out by ant systematics across the globe, with the aid of various various people across the globe. The main revisions are tools and techniques in biology, ecology, behaviour and by Brown (1952, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1960 & 1975), Bolton phylogeny are excitingly remarkable. With the help of (1974, 1976, 1977, 1986, 1994, 1995 & 2003), Shattuck refined morphological characters, molecular, ecological (1992), Ward (1990 & 2001), Wilson (2003), and LaPolla and behavioural data, along with information from new (2004). The book “The Ants” by Holldobler and Wilson fossils, the ant phylogeny is better understood now than (1990) has compiled all known information on the biology ever before in the history of ant taxonomy and of ants till then known. systematics. Some of the recent molecular phylogenetic The best taxonomic achievement among all studies carried out by Ward & Brady (2003), Saux et developments is that identification keys for all subfamilies al., (2004), Brady et al., (2006), Moreau et al., (2006), and genera are available in English (Bolton,1994). In Ouellette et al., (2006), and other studies claim that addition, world class catalogue on ants of the world is “Formicoid clade” is the largest clade comprising 14 of also made available by Bolton (1995). An outstanding, the 20 extant ant subfamilies (Ward, 2007). He has single piece of publication, which provides information Corresponding author: [email protected] Biosystematica, 2009, 3(2): 81-89 81 82 THRESIAMMA VARGHESE about the diagnosis and status of all known extinct and The web page developed and maintained by the extant subfamilies, tribes, and genera of ants across the California Academy of Sciences is a marvellous world is the synopsis and classification of the family reference place for ant genera of the world. The antbase Formicidae by Bolton (2003). also provides links to many useful databases, like primary As a result of many such studies, there are quite taxonomic publications, Formis bibliography, distribution a lot of changes in the classification and scientific names database, Integrated Taxonomic Information System, of many ant species across the globe. Subsequently, the Hymenoptera Name Server etc. In addition, Global status of many subfamilies, tribes, genera and species Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF-http:// names of ants in India also have changed; there are www.gbif.org, Date of access- 05/11/09) and Global many synonyms, new combinations,new revivals etc. Taxonomic Initiative (GTI-http://www.cbd.int/gti, Date of access-05/11/09) coordinate the efforts of various Since these changes have happened and have national museums and universities, and provide data on been happening at an exhilarating rate, all over the world species all over the world in an effort to trim down the over many years and carried out by various people in taxonomic impediment. In Asian countries, the database different parts of the world, all information is naturally on ant taxonomy and ecology is the antbase (http:// scattered and is not easily accessible to a beginner; though www.antbase.net/, Date of access-05/11/09). In addition most of the information is available online and become to this, another international network for Asian more or less transparent. myrmecologists for the improvement of ant taxonomy However, through modern approaches of and ecology is ANeT (http://homepage.mac.com/dorylus/ enormously passionate groups of people, and institutions, jorney.html, Date of access-05/11/09). This excellent the whole field of taxonomy and systematics is gaining initiative publishes a scientific journal “Asian significant momentum. More over, they are trying hard Myrmecology”. to bring most of the available information on biology, However, the main problem one faces, when one ecology, behaviour, taxonomy and systematics of ants look at ant genera and species in India is that the status to everyone through internet and other means. One of of many names given in Bingham (1903) have such ultimate attempts is the “ E-type initiative” recently undergone some changes. In this review, the author has began at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at looked at some of those changes and have summarised Harvard University, with the aim of putting detailed them below with the hope that this information is useful pictures of many ant species on Earth on the internet, to the beginners, especially for those who do not have which will be accessible to ant researchers all over the easy access to internet facility. world (http://insects.oeb.harvard.edu/etypes/about.htm, Date of access-05/11/09). As a result, many of the The following is an abstract of the major changes, problems existing in ant taxonomy, because of the which took place at the subfamily and genus level inaccessibility of many type specimens and the data taxonomy of ants in India, over a century. Since the associated with them, will eventually fade away. author aims this publication, on the whole, at the amateur ant taxonomists, it isn’t represented here in a strict As a result of many such unfailing efforts, at taxonomic pattern, but rather in a general form. A present, there are many useful websites, which are of synonymic synopsis of the Bingham’s species list is extreme use to any ant taxonomist. Some of the excellent available at http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/thresi/ web based identification resources freely available are AntWeb (www.antweb.org, Date of access-05/11/09), Results and Discussions Antbase (www.antbase.org, Date of access-05/11/09), As a result of various studies based on Australian Ants online (www.ento.csiro.au/science/ants, morphology, molecular data, along with information from Date of access-05/11/09). The Antweb and another fossils, the evolution of ants and their characters, database on Japanese ants are the first image databases relationships between various subfamilies, tribes and on ants. They provide good quality detailed photographs genera and species are better understood now and of ants showing taxonomic features, which enables subsequently they are reclassified and reorganized in species identification, without physically accessing the the present form (Bolton, 2003, Bolton et al., 2006). type specimens. Since most of the images are taken An extensive review of the work relevant to with high resolution microscopes and processed using the Indian fauna is presented in the manuscript auto montage software, the images are spectacular and (Varghese, in press). When one looks at the scenario in the details are shown to finer details. India, there isn’t much development in ant taxonomy Biosystematica, 2009, 3(2) Review of Extant Subfamilies, Tribes and Ant Genera in India 83 over the last hundred years. Hence there is nothing much The major changes at the genus level are the to look beyond the fauna volume by Bingham (1903). following. Two genera, Dorylus and Aenictus retain their This book provides descriptions and identification keys name. Under the subfamily Ponerinae, the Lioponera for ants up to species level, which still remains as the Mayr, Syscia Roger, and Ooceraea Roger, are major guiding source for the Indian ant taxonomists. synonymised under the genus Cerapachys Smith The fauna volume included the species of Sri (Brown, 1973 & 1975; Kempf, 1972). As mentioned Lanka and Burma also. Now the present author earlier, the genus Cerapachys is placed in the subfamily considers the fauna of political India only, mainly to make Cerapachyinae, not in the subfamily Ponerinae as it simple and to facilitate convenience for the Indian classified in the Bingham’s book (Wheeler, 1902, Bolton, audience.
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