ABDOMINAL CHARACTERS AND STATUS OF THE CERAPACHYINE ANTS (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE)

For nearly a century myrmecologists have worried about the cerapachyine ants. Are they worthy of subfamily status, or not? Current work on the abdominal segments of the poneroid subfamilies, the first part of which is discussed in this paper, indicates that the cerapachyines should be treated as a separate subfamily. The history of the cerapachyines is discussed and apomorphies diagnostic of the group are noted. Separation from the Ponerinae is stressed and the possible relationships of the group to other poneroids are mentioned. Full descriptions of the abdominal sclerites are presented for each of the three cerapachyine tribes and a subfamily diagnosis and zoogeographical synopsis are given. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.