| Class | Score | Criteria | Genera |
| Top dominant | 5 | Dominant ants in habitat; defend territories and resources intra- as well as interspecifically; monopolize resources against all heterospecific competitors | Myrmicinae: Pheidole; Formicinae: Formica, Oecophylla; Dolichoderinae: Anonychomyrma, Azteca, Forelius, Froggattella, Iridomyrmex, Papyrius |
| Second-order dominant | 4 | Subordinate relative to top dominants, but may become dominant in the absence of these; monopolize resources† | Myrmicinae: Crematogaster, Meranoplus, Monomorium, Myrmicaria, Solenopsis, Tetramorium; Formicinae: Anoplolepis, Camponotus, Polyrhachis, Lasius, Lepisiota, Myrmecocystus; Dolichoderinae: Dolichoderus, Linepithema, Liometopum, Ochetellus, Philidris; |
| Submissive | 3 | Subordinate to both classes of dominants; usually opportunistic species with generalized feeding habits; rarely defend and monopolize resources against heterospecific ants | Myrmicinae: Acanthomyrmex, Aphaenogaster, Myrmica, Rhoptromyrmex; Formicinae: Echinopla, Notoncus, Paratrechina, Prolasius; Dolichoderinae: Dorymyrmex, Tapinoma, Technomyrmex; Ponerinae: Ectatomma |
| Solitary | 2 | Foraging individually; rarely monopolize resources | Myrmeciinae: Myrmecia; Myrmicinae: Cataulacus; Ponerinae: Gnamptogenys, Odontomachus, Rhytidoponera Pseudomyrmecinae: Tetraponera, Pseudomyrmex |
| Cryptic | 1 | Minute species foraging on the ground or in leaf litter; inferior to all other ants in direct confrontation | Myrmicinae: Leptothorax; Formicinae: Brachymyrmex, Plagiolepis; Dolichoderinae: Bothriomyrmex |
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