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Genus Liometopum - Velvety Tree Ants

Liometopum - Liometopum apiculatum Fancy ant - Liometopum occidentale Queen Ant? - Liometopum occidentale Ant with patterned abdomen - Liometopum Liometopum luctuosum - female orange/gray - Liometopum occidentale Liometopum apiculatum Ant - Liometopum
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
Superfamily Formicoidea (Ants)
Family Formicidae (Ants)
Subfamily Dolichoderinae (Odorous Ants)
Tribe Tapinomini
Genus Liometopum (Velvety Tree Ants)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
revised in Toro et al. (2009)(1)
Explanation of Names
Liometopum Mayr 1861
Numbers
3 spp. in our area(2), 7 total
Range
w. NA & Asia(2)
Remarks
L. apiculatum (Spanish escamole) is considered a delicacy in Mexico, where it is disappearing due to overcollecting; the same may be beginning to happen in the US (Ramos-Elorduy 2006)
See Also
Often have inquilines in nest fragments, especially Sceptobius
Works Cited
1.Revision of the ant genus Liometopum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Toro D.I., Pacheco J.A., Mackay W.P. 2009. Sociobiology 53: 299-369.
2.Wild A. (-2014) Myrmecos