Ocymyrmex
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| Ocymyrmex | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ocymyrmex ankhu ergatoid queen | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Ocymyrmex Emery, 1886 |
| Type species | |
| Ocymyrmex barbiger Emery, 1886 | |
| Diversity[1] | |
| 37 species | |
Ocymyrmex is an African genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae, also commonly known as hotrod ants.[2]
Species are thermophilic (thrives at relatively high temperatures) and live in dry savanna to extreme desert conditions in parts of the Afrotropics.[3] They seem to be restricted to Southern and Eastern Africa, with no species occurring in West and Central Africa, or the sub-Saharan Sahelian Zone.[4] Their nests are located deep in the ground, usually in sandy soil, with colonies consisting of 200 to 1000 individuals.[3][4] Adapted to arid climates, they move remarkably fast during the day. They feed mainly on corpses of heat-stricken animals, living termites and seeds.[4]
