''Odontomachus assiniensis'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of ponerinae ant known as a

trap-jaw ant ''Odontomachus'' is a genus of ants commonly called trap-jaw ants found in the tropics and subtropics throughout the world. Overview Commonly known as trap-jaw ants, species in ''Odontomachus'' have a pair of large, straight mandibles capabl ...

. The trap-jaw mechanism consists of mandibles which spring shut when triggered. This ant was first described in 1892 by the Italian entomologist Carlo Emery. The type locality is the Ivory Coast, where the coastal site of Assini, in the southeast, gIves the specific name ''assiniensis'', "of Assini".

Description

The worker ranges in length from . It is larger than '' Odontomachus troglodytes'', with a petiolar node that is higher and more compressed. The labial palps have four segments. The colouring varies across its large range, with most forms being some shade of brown, with brown femurs and yellowish legs. Individuals from Ghana tend to have red heads, and those from Guinea have yellow femurs and shiny black

propodeum The propodeum or propodium is the first abdominal segment in Apocrita Hymenoptera (wasps, bees and ants). It is fused with the thorax to form the mesosoma. It is a single large sclerite, not subdivided, and bears a pair of spiracles. It is strongl ...

Distribution and habitat

''Odontomachus assiniensis'' is native to sub-Saharan Africa. Its range extends from Guinea, Ghana, Cameroun and the Congo to Kenya, Mozambique, and South Africa. It is a terrestrial forest species being found mainly in tropical rainforest and also in other moist forests, swamp forests and evergreen forests.

Ecology

This terrestrial species is found on the forest floor, among leaf litter, in rotten logs, under stones and fallen timber. Nests have been reported from such places as the inside of dead wood lying on the ground, and in one instance, in the soil in coarse grassland. This nest had multiple entrances and was about in diameter. In this species, unmated workers can lay eggs, and these always develop into males. These ants are

predators Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...

, their diet mostly consisting of

termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...

s, but also including other small insects captured on the surface of the ground. Larger prey is stung but smaller prey is killed by a snap of the jaws.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q13911912 Ponerinae Hymenoptera of Africa Insects described in 1892 Taxa named by Carlo Emery