The Ants of Africa
Genus Stigmatomma
Stigmatomma pluto (Gotwald & Lévieux)

santschii-group

Stigmatomma pluto (Gotwald & Lévieux)

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Ivory Coast (Amblyopone pluto n. sp., Gotwald & Lévieux, 1972: 384; genus status revised, Yoshimura & Fisher, 2012) type-nest (J. Lévieux, 16.viii.1965) and four other samples all from Lamto; one colony had distinctly smaller individuals; all forms described. Listed in Hölldobler & Wilson (1990, page 559) .


{Amblyopone pluto}Gotwald & Levieux's (1972) description is at {original description}.


{Amblyopone pluto}WORKER - TL 5.66-6.38 mm; head only slightly longer than broad, not broadened anteriorly; mandibles less linear than usual for the genus; clypeus concave medially, descending sharply from area between frontal lobes and bearing a row (9-11) of conspicuous elongate tubercles; head and alitrunk black to dark reddish-brown; antennae, genae, clypeus and frontal carinae of head and ventrolateral alitrunk often lighter; petiole sometimes black dorsally; gaster dark brown to reddish-orange (Gotwald & Lévieux, 1972: 384, fully illustrated, all forms).

Quite detailed investigations were made by Gotwald & Lévieux (1972). Its distribution seems to be limited to unburnt areas of the humid savannah, and it is not found in the forest. Nests were some 15 cm down in the ground, in black clay soil with thick litter cover, with a colony size of some 30-40 adults. Extensive feeding experiments showed that the only food source was species of Chilopoda (geophilomorph centipedes), these appeared to be attacked only when alive. In starvation conditions cannibalism of larvae was found.


{Amblyopone pluto type}The photomontage of the type specimen is collated from the Antweb.org site at http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0101443


{Amblyopone pluto queen}The photomontage is collated from images at www.discoverlife.org - originals by Gary Alpert, Harvard University; Ivory Coast specimens.

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