Acanthostichus is a predatory and predominantly subterranean genus of ant in the subfamily Dorylinae.[2][3] They are found in the New World, from the southern United States to Uruguay, Paraguay and northern Argentina.[4] They are probably common, but due to their subterranean nature, they are seldom collected or seen.[5]
Acanthostichus Temporal range:
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A. texanus worker from Mexico | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Dorylinae |
Genus: | Acanthostichus Mayr, 1887 |
Type species | |
Typhlopone serratula | |
Diversity[1] | |
24 species | |
Synonyms | |
Ctenopyga Ashmead, 1906 |
Most species are very similar; the petiole is the most important feature in identifying species. Many are known only from a few collections, or even single specimen, which makes it hard to determine variability within species. For this reason, many described members of this genus may be synonyms.[5]
The genus currently contains 24 species: