Myrmecol. News 36: 161-213

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.25849/myrmecol.news_036:161
  • Open Access: CC BY 4.0
  • Author: Zhang, X.-M., Duan, J.-H. & Xu, Z.-H.
  • Year: 2026
  • Title: Taxonomy of the ant genus Aphaenogaster MAYR, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of China with descriptions of fourteen new species and a key to the known species of China and adjacent continental countries
  • Journal: Myrmecological News
  • Volume: 36
  • Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9008A7FA-4DD7-433D-B781-AB6BF223B487
  • Pages: 161-213
  • Type of contribution: Original Article
  • Supplementary material: no
  • Abstract: In this study, we carried out a taxonomic review of the Chinese species of Aphaenogaster Mayr, 1853. Four species formerly recorded in China, Aphaenogaster concolor Watanabe & Yamane, 1999, Aphaenogaster longiceps (Smith, 1858), Aphaenogaster subterranea (Latreille, 1798), and Aphaenogaster tokarainsulana Watanabe & Yamane, 1999, are excluded from the ant fauna of China. Aphaenogaster pumilopuncta Zhou, 2001 is a junior synonym of Aphaenogaster incurviclypea Wang & Zheng, 1997. Fourteen new species of Aphaenogaster are described from China: A. anziheensis sp.n., A. changlui sp.n., A. danba sp.n., A. liangshanensis sp.n., A. lisheni sp.n., A. minshengi sp.n., A. panzhihua sp.n., A. puerensis sp.n., A. shambhala sp.n., A. shangrila sp.n., A. shanyii sp.n., A. tangjuei sp.n., A. wujiani sp.n., and A. yunlingensis sp.n. Additionally, a list of the 52 known species of the genus from China and adjacent continental countries including North Korea, South Korea, Russian Federation, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam is prepared in which 42 species are distributed in China. A key to the 52 known species of the genus based on the worker caste is provided. Crucial images of type specimens which have not previously been available are now made available via this publication. The findings of the rich number of new species not only highlight the rich biodiversity present but also the importance of increasing the species cataloguing rate and taxonomic work for China.
  • Key words: Myrmicinae, Aphaenogaster, taxonomy, junior synonyms, new taxa, checklist
  • Publisher: The Austrian Society of Entomofaunistics
  • ISSN: 1997-3500
  • Check out the accompanying blog contribution: https://blog.myrmecologicalnews.org/2026/07/01/morphology-is-not-dead/