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Odontoponera

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Description

Taken at night in Singapore forest.

Quote from termitesandants.blogspot.sg/20…

This common black ant is an effective predator of small insects. It is a very common ant found almost everywhere where there are any small strips of vegetation even beside pavement and buildings.

Mainly solitary hunters of small prey (arthropods of about its size or smaller) they also participate in group attack on exposed nest of other ants. They are the main competitor to the Diacamma genus.

Odontoponera denticulata rarely use their stings which seemed to be reserved for their battle with other ants of similar size. They have a very effective bite as is evident in the shape and teeth of their mandibles.

Similar with many species of Ponerinae ants, some Odontoponera workers are able to lay eggs even if they never mated.

Odontoponera denticulata queen are what I call 'hunter mamas'. The dealate gyne hunts for food for her first brood and does not seal herself into the security of her nest (is semi-claustral) while waiting for her first batch of workers to mature. Typical of most ants, Odontoponera, swarms after dark usually followed on a rainy spell. The gyne are almost the same size as the workers and the easily observable feature is her slightly thicker thorax. In the workers the thorax tapers towards the 'waist' joining the gaster. Ant keepers see bottom of page for details to acquire and raise a Odonponera denticulata queen.

Odnontoponera denticulata are among some species of ants that have, what I call 'slippery feet'. Their legs are unable to grip onto smooth surfaces like smooth glass, stones, etc.
Image size
960x640px 370.7 KB
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Shutter Speed
1/160 second
Aperture
F/16.0
Focal Length
100 mm
ISO Speed
200
Date Taken
Mar 15, 2014, 12:07:40 AM
Sensor Size
6mm
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