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21 December 2012 Observations On the Specialized Predatory Behavior of the Pitchfork-Mandibled Ponerine Ant Thaumatomyrmex paludis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Christian Rabeling, Manfred Verhaagh, Marcos V. B. Garcia
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

In this natural history note we describe and illustrate the specialized predatory behavior of the ponerine ant Thaumatomyrmex paludis from the Brazilian Amazon. This study of T. paludis implies that specialized predation on polyxenid millipedes is widespread in the genus Thaumatomyrmex. The observation that one T. paludis forager only partly depilated its prey before it started feeding suggests that complete depilation of polyxenids, as reported from T. contumax, could be most important when prey items are fed to the larvae, presumably to protect the brood from irritating bristles. Our observations provide an additional example of the sympatric distribution of two Thaumatomyrmex species, further supporting the hypothesis that the genus consists of multiple, morphologically similar species.

Museum of Comparative Zoology
Christian Rabeling, Manfred Verhaagh, and Marcos V. B. Garcia "Observations On the Specialized Predatory Behavior of the Pitchfork-Mandibled Ponerine Ant Thaumatomyrmex paludis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)," Breviora 533(1), 1-8, (21 December 2012). https://doi.org/10.3099/MCZ3.1
Published: 21 December 2012
KEYWORDS
ants
Isopoda
mandible morphology
Polyxenidae
predation
sympatry
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