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Sphinctomyrmex Mayr, 1866

 Overview  Images  Identification  Specimens --- References/Links  Nomenclature  Reports 
Overview 
Species of Sphinctomyrmex are specialist predators of other ants.  They forage primarily below ground, only rarely on the surface.  Most species lack fully winged queens and have, instead, worker-like (ergatoid) queens.  Workers have a relatively heavy integument with angles and teeth for protection during raids.  Nests are in soil and under stones and contain several hundred workers and up to 20 or more ergatoid queens.


Front of head (type series).
 
Side of body (type series).
 

Top of body (type series).
 



This taxon is known from these habitats
The following rows were recorded as a pair from a single record.
Blank entries indicate no information was recorded.
Environment/MacrohabitatSituation/Microhabitat
 Between rocks 
 Ex abandoned termite mound 
 ex front of wombat warren 
 Excavated from soil 
 Leaf litter, 1130 hrs 
 litter 
 Nest under rock 
 on ground 
 Stone 
 Trapped by sticky seeds of Pisonia brunoniana 
 Traps 11 
 Traps 14 
 Traps 3 
 under rock 
 Under rotten log on ground 
 Under succulents on rock suface 
 Wet season litter 
Cleared grass land, granite under small rocks 
Cloudy, 10am, Dry sandy sclero. foraging column out on exposed rock! 
coastal scrub in sand 
coastal scrub under rock 
damp open hillside, Bursaria and wattles under rock 
Deep sandstone gorge, rainforest nest behind rock in creek bed 
Deep sandstone gully, lilli pilli scrub etc. nest under rock 
dense heath  
Dense scrub Under log near creek 
Dry Box sclerophyll under rock 
Dry flat sclerophyll nest in soil 
Dry sclero. nest in soil 
Dry sclero. under rock 
Dry sclerophyll  
dry sclerophyll between granite rocks 
Dry sclerophyll In leaf litter and in soil 
dry sclerophyll in red soil 
dry sclerophyll in soil 
dry sclerophyll in soil bank 
dry sclerophyll in soil, base of Eucalyptus obliqua 
Dry sclerophyll Leaf mould 
Dry sclerophyll Nest in soil on hard track 
Dry sclerophyll Nest under stone 
Dry sclerophyll Nests under large rock on grassy floor of shallow valley. Reddish soil, nest well below surface level. Large cavity beneath large rock. 
Dry sclerophyll rocky gully 
Dry sclerophyll Steep slope, red clay soil 
Dry sclerophyll Under large rock in cleared valley 
Dry sclerophyll Under log 
Dry sclerophyll Under rock 
Dry sclerophyll Under rock in clay pocket 
dry sclerophyll under rock, no brood 
dry sclerophyll under rock, no brood seen 
dry sclerophyll under rock, no sign of brood 
dry sclerophyll under rocks 
Dry sclerophyll for. Nest in soil, under stone 
Dry sclerophyll forest raft under small rock 
Dry sclerophyll hillside under small rock 
dry sclerophyll nr. hill top under rock 
Dry sclerophyll, sandstone scrub 3pm foraging in column in damp area of small stones 
Dry sclerophyll, sandstone scrub Foraging column on the move, 3pm small stones, very damp area, much scrub. 
Dry sclerophyll, Silurian forest Under rock 
Dry sclerophyll, thick sandstone undergrowth Under rock 
Dry sclerophyll, valley Under rock 
Edge of rainforest Under log 
Eucalypt open forest ex abandonded termite mound 
Eucalypt open forest under stone 
eucalypt woodland  
Eucalyptus open forest under stone 
Eucalyptus open-forest Ex termite mound 
Eucalyptus open-woodland  
Few trees, low scrub & pasture White granite soil under large rock 
Flat rainforest Under small stone 
Forest  
Fringing scrub Leaf litter 
Granite hills, dry sclerophyll Under rock 
Granite, dry sclerophyll under rock 
Granite, thick scrub & dry sclerophyll  
Grassland, few trees granite rocks 
gully dry sclerophyll under rock 
In rainforest under stone 
Littoral rainforest  
Low scrub  
Lowland rainforest  
Maple grove under black rock 
Med. sclerophyll  
Med. sclerophyll Under gravel in creek bed 
Med. sclerophyll Under rock 
Med. sclerophyll Under stone 
Medium sclerophyll Under rock 
Melaleuca  
near homestead ex front of wombat warren 
Open forest  
Open forest Litter 
Open grassland Under large rock in volcanic soil 
Open sclerophyll under rock, clay soil 
Pasture Nest under stone 
Pasture, few trees under granite rock 
Perimeter dry sclerophyll under rock 
Pine plantn. 11am attacking nest of Rhytid. victoriae 
Radiata pine forest  
Railway Res. Under small rock 
Rainforest  
Rainforest ex rotten log 
Rainforest Ex rotting wood piece 
Rainforest Ex wet rotten branch on ground 
Rainforest ground nest 
Rainforest in soil 
Rainforest Litter 
Rainforest Litter & moss 
Rainforest Moss on rocks 
Rainforest nest in soil under stone  
Rainforest nest under stone 
Rainforest On steep slope 
Rainforest On stony slope 
Rainforest random individuals under rock 
Rainforest Roadside, between rocks 
Rainforest Sieved litter 
Rainforest Under rock 
Rainforest under rock in dry creek bed 
Rainforest under stone 
Rainforest edge litter sample wetter rainforest east of landing & camping area 
Rainforest edge Under rock 
Rainforest foot of ranges Gallery under small rock 
Regen. rainforest In dry red log 
Relict rainforest  
Sandstone scrub under large rock 
Savana woodland forager amoung rocks 
Savana woodland under log 
Savana woodland under rock 
Savana woodland, 11am Many workers foraging in close proximity to nest 
Savana woodland, tall timber in soil under log 
Savanna woodland Under log 
Sclerophyll  
Sclerophyll under small stones near creek bed very damp area 
sclerophyll and heath under rock 
Scllerophyll  
Small patch of rainforest  
Sparse dry sclerophyll Under large rock 
Sparse dry sclerophyll Under rock 
Spinifex steppe with scattered gums  
Stone  
subtropical rainforest by stream  
Swamp log 
swampy dry sclerophyll in soil mound 
Swampy grass land, granite, few trees under rock 
Swampy wet sclerophyll in log 
Ti Tree scrub soil mound 
Ti tree scrub under rock 
Wet sclero. under rock in soil 
wet sclerophyll  
Wet sclerophyll nest in soil among galleries of M. forficata 
Wet sclerophyll Sieved litter 
Wet sclerophyll Under rock 
wet sclerophyll under rock, no brood seen 
wet sclerophyll Under rock, no nest found. 
Wet sclerophyll under rock, roadside 
Wet sclerophyll Under small piece of wood 
Wet sclerophyll under stone 
Wet sclerophyll & lantana Under small rock 
Wet sclerophyll forest under stone 
Wet sclerophyll, riverbank Roadside under rock in clay 

 

 

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