Species: Pachycondyla constricta

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2013)

Distribution:

Southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Costa Rica: lowland wet forest, sea level to at least 150m; common at La Selva, Corcovado.

Biology:

Natural History:

This species is a common inhabitant of mature rainforests. It usually nests in dead wood on the forest floor, although I once observed a nest in the debris of a small "basket" palm (short understory palms that accumulate a basket of leaf litter where the whorl of petioles emerges from the trunk, often about 50cm above the ground). I find P. constricta in a large proportion of sifted litter samples (Winkler samples) from rainforest sites. Nocturnal foragers are relatively common on and among the leaf litter; diurnal foragers are less common. One nest I collected, in a rotten stick on the forest floor, contained 4 ergatogynes, in which there were no wing scars, but the mesosoma was more robust than normal workers, and the propodeal suture not impressed. I also get these ergatogynes occasionally in Winkler samples. I once observed an alate queen while collecting at night.

References:

Mayr, G. 1884. In Radoszkowsky, O. Fourmis de Cayenne Francaise. Trudy Russkago Entomologicheskago Obshchestva 18:30-39.

Taxon Page Author History

Specimen Data Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 79 times found in mature wet forest, 64 times found in 2º lowland rainforest, 28 times found in tropical rainforest, 2 times found in LOC, 6 times found in lowland rainforest, 5 times found in wet forest, 4 times found in tropical wet forest, 1 times found in SAT, 1 times found in SCH, 1 times found in SHO 650 m., ...

Collected most commonly using these methods or in the following microhabitats: 97 times miniWinkler, 64 times Baiting, 31 times Winkler, 12 times MaxiWinkler, 7 times Search, 5 times Berlese, 2 times Mini Winkler, 2 times Pitfall, 1 times bait, 1 times flight intercept trap, 1 times Malaise, ...

Elevations: collected from 20 - 1110 meters, 109 meters average

2 Specimens Imaged | View All 262 Specimens for this species

CASENT0217555

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CASENT0249137

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