Classification

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Genus: Atta
Species: Atta cephalotes

Atta cephalote tranlated means: Father, having a head(Classics Technology Center, 2013)

Domain: The domain Eukarya is characterized by organisms having a nucleus. Most cells within an Atta cephalote have nuclei. All multicellular organisms are in the domain Eukarya with some unicellular organisms. Other organisms in this group are: Kiwis and Juniper.

Kingdom: All animals are in the kingdom Animalia. They are charcterized by a backwards facing tail which is shared by their sister group Choanoflagellates. Other animals that are in this group are: Snowshoe Hare and an Emu.

Phylum: The main characteristic of Arthropoda is segmented legs. All insects, spiders and crustacea are in this phylum. They also prefom ecdysis. Other animals that are in this group are: Red Rock Crab and Goose Barnacle.

Class: Insects are the biggest class in the world. Animals that are under the class Insecta have a three segmented body, three pairs of legs, and a set of antennae. Ants are a perfect model for the insect class because you can see these characteristics on their body. Another animal that is in this group is the Damselfly.

Order: There are four large orders within Insecta. Hymenoptera is one of them. Animals that are under this group have hind wings that are connected to the front wings by little hooks.

Family: Like all insects, Formicidae have three main body parts. What makes animals of this family special is because the area between their thorax and abdomen is unusually thin and looks pinched. Another ant that is in this family is the East Asian Ant.

Genus: The Atta Genus encompases a few types of animals. What they all have in common is the difference within the subcastes of workers. Different workers work on different activities to make sure the colony runs smooth.

Species: Atta cephalotes are the species of intrest in this case. They are the most wide spread of all Atta and are found in Central and South america.

Phylogeny information cited from Encyclopedia of Life, 2013