230px, ''P. mandibularis''
''Plectroctena'' is an
Afrotropical genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
ant
Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22 ...
s, with most species occurring in the rainforest zones of West and Central Africa.
Some species are cryptic or subterranean foragers,
[ while others forage in open grassland terrain. The workers forage singly]millipede
Millipedes are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a resu ...
s, including their young or eggs.[
]
Colony structure
A colony of '' P. lygaria'' (a small species of the ''mandibularis''-group) may number in excess of 300 adults. An excavated colony in the Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
consisted of 277 workers, 8 alate
Alate (Latin ''ālātus'', from ''āla'' (“wing”)) is an adjective and noun used in entomology and botany to refer to something that has wings or winglike structures.
In entomology
In entomology, "alate" usually refers to the winged form o ...
queens, and 42 alate males. Consequently 15% of their number was allocated to reproductives at the specific time.[ The colony size of '' P. mandibularis'' however, seldom exceeds 50 individuals.][
]
Nests
In a colony of '' P. lygaria'', the nest chambers are located at shallow depth, in moist soil under dense leaf litter. The deepest chamber may be located about 7 cm below the surface, with each chamber up to 1 cm in height.[ The chambers are specialized to house either brood or prey items. Nests of the widespread species '' P. mandibularis'' however, are composed of chambers typically located 2 feet or more below the surface, with entrances that are usually marked by large piles of earth.][
]
Diet
It is believed that millipede eggs may at times constitute the exclusive diet of ''P. lygaria'',[ while newly emerged millipede young may be an additional food source for the smaller ''Plectroctena'' species. Larger species like '' P. conjugata'', '' P. mandibularis'' and '' P. minor'' specialize on adult millipedes.][
]
Species
* '' Plectroctena anops'' Bolton, 1974
* '' Plectroctena conjugata'' Santschi, 1914
* '' Plectroctena cristata'' Emery, 1899
* '' Plectroctena cryptica'' Bolton, 1974
* '' Plectroctena dentata'' Santschi, 1912
* ''Plectroctena gabonensis
230px, ''P. mandibularis''
''Plectroctena'' is an Afrotropical genus of ants, with most species occurring in the rainforest zones of West and Central Africa. Some species are cryptic or subterranean foragers, while others forage in open grassla ...
'' Santschi, 1919
* '' Plectroctena gestroi'' Menozzi, 1922
* '' Plectroctena hastifera'' (Santschi, 1914)
* '' Plectroctena laevior'' Stitz, 1924
* '' Plectroctena latinodis'' Santschi, 1924
* '' Plectroctena lygaria'' Bolton, Gotwald & Leroux, 1979
* '' Plectroctena macgeei'' Bolton, 1974
* '' Plectroctena mandibularis'' F.Smith, 1858
* '' Plectroctena minor'' Emery, 1892
* '' Plectroctena strigosa'' Emery, 1899
* ''Plectroctena subterranea
image:Plectroctena mandibularis, werker, Tweeling, c.jpg, 230px, ''P. mandibularis''
''Plectroctena'' is an Afrotropical realm, Afrotropical genus of ants, with most species occurring in the rainforest zones of West and Central Africa. Some speci ...
'' Arnold, 1915
* '' Plectroctena thaui'' Fisher, 2006
* '' Plectroctena ugandensis'' Menozzi, 1933
References
External links
*
Genus: ''Plectroctena'', AntWeb
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2616874
Ponerinae
Ant genera
Hymenoptera of Africa
