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Guides
Pseudomyrmecinae
big-eyed tree ants, big-eyed ants
Pseudomyrmecinae is a subfamily of slender, hyperoptic arboreal ants comprising three genera: Pseudomyrmex (~200 species, Neotropical), Tetraponera (~100 species, Palaeotropical), and Myrcidris (two species, South America). The subfamily originated in the Palaeotropics during the Cretaceous and later dispersed to South America, where it underwent significant diversification. At least twelve independent origins of obligate mutualisms with domatia-bearing plants have occurred within this group, making it the most diverse plant-occupying ant lineage worldwide.