List of ant subfamilies

Ants (family Formicidae in the order Hymenoptera) are the most species-rich of all social insects, with more than 12,000 described species and many others awaiting description.^[1] Formicidae is divided into 21 subfamilies, of which 17 contain extant taxa, while four are exclusively fossil.^[2] Ants have come to occupy virtually all major terrestrial habitats, with the exception of tundra and cold ever-wet forests. They display a wide range of social behaviors, foraging habits and associations with other organisms, which has generated scientific and public interest.^[1]