This guide provides identification keys to all the living ant subfamilies and genera, presented in alphabetical order and separated by zoogeographical region. Written by one of the world's leading ant taxonomists, it is intended to update and revise the keys found in Holldobler and Wilson's Ants. Designed for amateurs as well as professionals, this text includes information on the function and use of identification keys, instructions for preparing specimens, and a glossary. For each described subfamily, there are classifications of all genera, notes on broad distribution, and a list of references to all species-rank publications. There are also short summaries of extinct subfamilies, plus full checklist of every name ever proposed in ant classification, from family to subgenus.
Part 1 Introduction: problems of classification; outline of zoogeography; preparation of specimens; organization and use of the book. Part 2 The family formicidae: diagnosis of the family formicidae; the extant subfamilies; key to subfamilies based on external morphology; new format key to subfamilies. Part 3 Subfamilies: subfamily aenictinae; subfamily aenictogitoninae; subfamily aneuretinae; subfamily apomyrminae; subfamily cerapachyinae; subfamily dolichoderinae; subfamily dorylinae; subfamily ecitoninae; subfamily formicinae; subfamily leptanillinae; subfamily leptanilloidinae; subfamily myrmiciinae; subfamily nothomyrmeciinae; subfamily ponerinae; subfamily pseudomyrmecinae; the extinct subfamilies - subfamily armaniinae, subfamily formiciinae, subfamily sphecomyrminae, subfamily paleosminthurinae.