Aphaenogaster ensifera: taxon details and analytics
- Domain
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera
- Family
- Formicidae
- Genus
- Aphaenogaster
- Species
- Aphaenogaster ensifera
- Scientific Name
- Aphaenogaster ensifera
Summary description from Wikipedia:
Novomessor ensifer
Novomessor ensifer is a species of ant endemic to Mexico. A member of the genus Novomessor in the subfamily Myrmicinae, it was first described by Swiss entomologist Auguste Forel in 1899. N. ensifer was originally a part of the genus Aphaenogaster until a recent phylogenetic study concluded that Novomessor was genetically distinct and should be separated. The ant is a medium-sized species, measuring 5.5 to 10 millimetres (0.2 to 0.4 in). The ant is ferruginous-colored in some certain parts of the body, and small workers (nanitics) in incipient colonies are noticeably different in color and body structure.
N. ensifer is active throughout the day, where they forage on the ground and sometimes on low herbs. Colonies are found under stones and other objects in tropical dry forests and pine-oak forests. These ants are solitary foragers and predominantly feed on insects such as wasps and moths. The only known predator of N. ensifer is the giant horned lizard (Phrynosoma asio). While nothing is known about its reproduction, nuptial flight may take place during spring or summer, where queens establish their nests under stones and other objects.
...Parent Taxon
Sibling Taxa
- Aphaenogaster ashmeadi
- Aphaenogaster barbara
- Aphaenogaster barbigula
- Aphaenogaster beccarii
- Aphaenogaster beesoni
- Aphaenogaster bidentatus
- Aphaenogaster boulderensis
- Aphaenogaster cecconii
- Aphaenogaster charesi
- Aphaenogaster dlusskyi
- Aphaenogaster dromedaria
- Aphaenogaster ensifera
- Aphaenogaster exasperata
- Aphaenogaster famelica
- Aphaenogaster feae
- Aphaenogaster fengbo
- Aphaenogaster fiorii
- Aphaenogaster flemingi
- Aphaenogaster floridana
- Aphaenogaster fulva
- Aphaenogaster geei
- Aphaenogaster gibbosa
- Aphaenogaster honduriana
- Aphaenogaster huachucana
- Aphaenogaster ichnusa
- Aphaenogaster ionia
- Aphaenogaster iranica
- Aphaenogaster japonica
- Aphaenogaster jolantae
- Aphaenogaster lamellidens
- Aphaenogaster lepida
- Aphaenogaster longiceps
- Aphaenogaster manni
- Aphaenogaster mariae
- Aphaenogaster megommata
- Aphaenogaster mexicana
- Aphaenogaster muschtaidica
- Aphaenogaster mutica
- Aphaenogaster obsidiana
- Aphaenogaster occidentalis
- Aphaenogaster pallida
- Aphaenogaster patruelis
- Aphaenogaster phalangium
- Aphaenogaster poultoni
- Aphaenogaster praedo
- Aphaenogaster punctaticeps
- Aphaenogaster pythia
- Aphaenogaster rothneyi
- Aphaenogaster sardoa
- Aphaenogaster sicula
- Aphaenogaster smithi
- Aphaenogaster splendida
- Aphaenogaster subterranea
- Aphaenogaster swammerdami
- Aphaenogaster takahashii
- Aphaenogaster tennesseensis
- Aphaenogaster testaceopilosa
- Aphaenogaster tipuna
- Aphaenogaster treatae
- Aphaenogaster trinacriae
- Aphaenogaster uinta
- Aphaenogaster umphreyi