Characteristics

The Formicinae share the following characters with the Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae (Bolton 2003):

• Dorsal cuticular flap of the metapleural gland anteriorly reduced and posteromedially extended
• Petiole with complete tergosternal fusion
• Postpygidial glands absent

... and have the following synapomorphies (Bolton 2003):

• Acidopore at apex of hypopygium
• Glands producing formic acid
• Sting nonfunctional (vestigial to absent)
• Lancets disarticulated from sting
• Pygidial gland absent