| Allomerus decemarticulatus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Genus: | Allomerus |
| Species: | A. decemarticulatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Allomerus decemarticulatus Mayr, 1878
| |
Allomerus decemarticulatus is an Amazonian ant species found in the tropics of South America.[1] This species is most notable for the workers’ complex and extreme predatory behavior, which involves a symbiosis with both a plant and fungal species.[2] They live in leaf pockets of a host plant species, Hirtella physophora. These leaf pockets are areas inside of the plant between the leaves and the stem. Each colony, which consists of about 1,200 workers, inhabits a single tree; however, the ants are spread among the leaf pockets, with typically 40 workers per pocket. Their diet primarily consists of large insects that are captured on the plant, but they also eat some kinds of food bodies produced by the plant as well as its nectar. They are able to capture their prey, which is much larger than themselves, by constructing a platform that acts as a trap for the unsuspecting prey. The ants hide in the trap and attack when any insect lands on it. This technique is an example of ambush predation.[2]
- ^ Fernandez, F. (2007). "The Myrmicine ant genus Allomerus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Caldasia. 29 (1): 159–175.
- ^ a b Dejean, A.; Solano, P. J.; Belin-Depoux, M.; Cerdan, P.; Corbara, B. (2001). "Predatory behavior of patrolling Allomerus decemarticulatus workers (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) on their host plant". Sociobiology. 37: 571–578.