Paratrechina
genus of insects
Paratrechina is one of seven ant genera (alongside Euprenolepis, Nylanderia, Paraparatrechina, Prenolepis, Pseudolasius, and Zatania) in the Prenolepis genus-group from the subfamily Formicinae (tribe Lasiini). Six species are included in Paratrechina; one of which, the longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis), is a widespread, pantropical pest.
Distribution
Most Paratrechina species are native to sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, but one species, Paratrechina umbra, has only been found in southern China and is native to Southeast Asia. The only species found outside of these regions is Paratrechina longicornis, which has been introduced by humans to tropical areas across the globe. The native range of Paratrechina longicornis is currently unknown, but it is thought to be of either African or Asian origin. Although Paratrechina longicornis has been found in undisturbed habitats in Southeast Asia, the Afrotropics are the center of Paratrechina diversity. Paratrechina zanjensis, the purported sister species to Paratrechina longicornis, is found specifically in miombo woodlands across central and eastern Africa (including Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique), and Paratrechina longicornis is also considered a woodland specialist.
Taxonomy
In 2010, the genus Paratrechina was discovered to be paraphyletic with respect to the subgenus Nylanderia, which was then elevated to full generic status. This taxonomic change resulted in Paratrechina becoming monotypic with Paratrechina longicornis as its sole species. A taxonomic review of Paratrechina in 2013 resulted in the description of another species from Africa, called Paratrechina zanjensis, and in 2014 the central African species Paratrechina kohli was transferred from Prenolepis and two more new species from Madagascar were described: Paratrechina ankarana and Paratrechina antsingy.
The public source identifies “Paratrechina” as genus of insects. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Paratrechina, genus and insects.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q148927. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2010, 2013 and 2014.
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This entry incorporates text from “Paratrechina” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.