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Classification  

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Orectognathus Smith, 1854

 Overview --- Identification  Specimens  Key  References/Links  Nomenclature  Reports 
Overview 
These ants are fairly commonly encountered.  They form small to moderate sized nests in soil under objects, between rocks and slabs of granite, under moss on rocks and in rotten wood.  A limited number of species nest arboreally.  They are slow moving and forage primarily at night or on dull, overcast days on the ground or on vegetation.  When disturbed they lie motionless to avoid detection.  Their thin, elongate mandibles act as snap-traps with which they capture soft-bodied arthropods, as well as being used to defend their nests.




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 
 between sandstone rocks 
 between vertical rocks 
 Cavity, sandstone 
 in air bubble in volcanic rock 
 In upright dead tree stump 
 leaf litter 
 Litter under Araucaria 
 Logs and trees 
 Nest between rocks 
 Nest ex cavity in fallen mistletoe 
 nest in bubble hole, basalt boulder, under small fern 
 On logs, stones and tree trunks 
 Pyrethrum knockdown 
 Pyrethrum logs trees 
 Stray, surface of large log, late afternoon, overcast sky 
 strays ex rocks at night 
 trees & logs 
 Trees and logs 
 Trees and rocks 
 Under rocks 
 Under stone 
 valley between rocks 
?forest Nest in 1/2 dead end of branch 2' off ground 
Casurina scrub Under stone 
Closed forest  
closed forest litter 
Dark rainforest between rock and base of tree 
Deep sandstone valley Under rock 
Dry medium sclerophyll In small lump(10"high) of very hard soil 
Dry sclerophyll  
Dry sclerophyll Gully between rocks 
Dry sclerophyll Nest under rock 
dry sclerophyll red clay soil 
dry sclerophyll under granite rock 
Dry sclerophyll Under moss on granite rock, gully 
Dry sclerophyll Under rock 
Dry sclerophyll Under stone 
dry sclerophyll gully Under stone 
Edge of rainforest Old termite mound 
eucalypt woodland  
eucalypt woodland in crack in granite boulder 
eucalypt woodland under rock 
ex rainforest  
Flat rainforest nr. river foraging in leaf litter and on ground 
Gully rainforest foraging, leaf litter, am. 
Gully, dry sclerophyll Under large rock pocket 
Heavy forest Stoney ground 
Heavy sclerophyll woods Under stone 
in gully  
Low closed forest ex rotten log 
Lowland rainforest  
med sclerophyll woods  
Med. sclerophyll Under stone 
Open flat sclerophyll woods  
Open forest  
Open sclerophyll woods Under stone 
Rainforest  
Rainforest Between rocks 
Rainforest Ex crevice in rock 
Rainforest Ex rotting log 
Rainforest Ex rotting wood piece 
Rainforest Ex rtn log 
Rainforest Ex rtn. log 
rainforest ex rtn. wood fragment 
Rainforest Ex small fragment rtn. wood 
Rainforest Ex small rtn wood fragment 
Rainforest Ex small rtn. wood fragment 
Rainforest Ex trunks and low foliage 
Rainforest Flood debris 
Rainforest foraging on paml leaf 
Rainforest Ground strays 
Rainforest Ground strays, nocturnal 
Rainforest In log 
Rainforest In red rotten log 
Rainforest Leafmould 
Rainforest Litter 
Rainforest near creek bed, foraging 4ft. off ground on bamboo frond 
Rainforest Nest ex rotten log 
Rainforest Nest ex rtn. wood frag. 
Rainforest Nest in cavity in dead mistletoe? bracket on ground below RF tree. Blown down in recent cyclone. 
Rainforest nest in dead bark sheath that projects over roots of palm tree 
Rainforest Nest in sand, under stone 
Rainforest nest in soil 
Rainforest nest in wet soil bank under log 
Rainforest nest under rock, steep soil bank 
Rainforest Nest, ex rtn log 
Rainforest Nocturnal strays 
rainforest on low vegetation 
Rainforest pocket between vertical rocks 
Rainforest Pyrethrum logs & trees 
rainforest random foragers low vegetation 
Rainforest Rotten log 
Rainforest rotten wood on ground 
Rainforest sieved litter 
Rainforest Stick brushings 
Rainforest Swept ex foliage 
Rainforest Unde rstone 
Rainforest Under bark of log 
Rainforest Under mossy rock 
Rainforest under rock 
Rainforest Under rock, nr. creek bed 
Rainforest under small rock 
Rainforest Under stone 
Rainforest under stone, ledge 
Rainforest Valley, in bark sheath covering palm roots 
Rainforest (poor) between rocks 
Rainforest - wet sclerophyll  
Rainforest edge In 10" high termite mound at edge of road track 
rainforest floor ex small wood fragment 
rainforest floor ex. small wood fragment 
Rainforest patch  
Sandstone rim of plateau, wet sclerophyll Under rock 
sandstone scrub between rocks 
Sandstone valley  
Sandstone valley Under rock 
Sandstone valley, in jet black soil Under rock 
Sandstone, wet sclerophyll Under rock 
Sclerophyll woods Under stone 
Shady dry sclerophyll In Newcastle coal measures, in fissure in sandstone rock 
Small patch of rainforest colony under stone 
Subtropical rainforest ground strays on leaf litter 
Subtropical Rainforest under stone 
Temperate rainforest  
Trees Logs 
Volcanic soil Under rock 
Wet sandstone gully In log 
wet sclerophyll  
Wet sclerophyll between granite rocks 
Wet sclerophyll ex rotten log 
wet sclerophyll nest under rock 
Wet sclerophyll Soil around the roots of fallen tree 
Wet sclerophyll Under stone 
Wet sclerophyll forest Under stone 
Wet sclerophyll woods Under rotten log 
wet sclrophyll in soil bank 

 

 

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