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 consisted of 277 workers, 8Nests
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'' 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'' Arnold, 1915 * '' Plectroctena thaui'' Fisher, 2006 * '' Plectroctena ugandensis'' Menozzi, 1933References
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