Amblyopone

Amblyopone
Amblyopone australis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Amblyoponinae
Tribe:	Amblyoponini
Genus:	Amblyopone Erichson, 1842
Type species
Amblyopone australis
Diversity
10 species (Species Checklist, Species by Country) Amblyopone australis Specimen Label
Synonyms
Amblyopopona Schulz, W.A., 1906 Amblyopopone Dalla Torre, 1893 Neoamblyopone Wheeler, W.M., 1927 Protamblyopone Wheeler, W.M., 1927

Species of Amblyopone range from very rare and seldom seen to locally common and regularly encountered. They nest in soil under rocks or logs or in rotten wood on the ground. Colonies often lack central chambers and instead are composed of many small satellite nests each containing a few workers together with a small amount of brood, dispersed over a small area. Workers are cryptic predators in soil and leaf litter and are seldom seen foraging on the surface of the ground. Some species show a strong preference for centipedes while others will feed on a range of soft-bodied arthropods. When disturbed they move slowly underground or remain motionless. In some species queens are known to wound their larvae and feed on haemolymph taken from these non-lethal wounds. This genus was once thought to occur in many regions of the world but a revision by Yoshimura and Fisher (2012) has shown that many species once considered Amblyopone actual belong to the genus Stigmatomma and Xymmer.

At a Glance

• Haiku

Identification

The mandibles are long and slender, with at least 5 teeth which vary greatly in size and are scattered along the entire inner margins, and with a sharp, pointed tooth at their tips which is no more than twice as long as the next longest tooth. The frontal lobes extend only slightly forward of the antennal sockets and do not cover the clypeus when viewed from the front. The forward margin of the clypeus is usually armed with a number of small teeth. The petiole has distinct front and upper faces but lacks a rear face, and its attachment to the gaster is broad and approximately the same height as the petiole so that the upper surfaces of petiole and gaster are separated by at most a shallow impression. The tibiae of the hind legs each have a large, comb-like (pectinate) spur at their tips (best viewed from the front).

In Australia species of Amblyopone are most similar to those of Onychomyrmex, but differ in having the tooth at the tip of the mandible smaller and having a distinct comb-like spur on the hind tibia.

See images of species within this genus

Keys including this Genus

• Key to Australian Amblyoponinae Genera

 

Keys to Species in this Genus

• Key to Amblyopone of the southwestern Australian Botanical Province

Distribution

Recent revisionary work (Yoshimura and Fisher, 2012) has reduced the known range of Amblyopone to Australia, New Caledonia, New Guinea, and New Zealand. All records beyond these limits represent locality records for species in the genera Stigmatomma and Xymmer.

Species by Region

Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.

	Afrotropical Region	Australasian Region	Indo-Australian Region	Malagasy Region	Nearctic Region	Neotropical Region	Oriental Region	Palaearctic Region
Species	0	10	2	0	0	0	0	0
Total Species	2851	1736	3047	932	840	4391	1767	2925

Biology

Life History Traits

• Queen type: winged or dealate; gamergate (Peeters, 1997)
• Mean colony size: 12 (Greer et al., 2021)
• Compound colony type: not parasitic (Greer et al., 2021)
• Nest site: hypogaeic (Greer et al., 2021)
• Diet class: predator (Greer et al., 2021)
• Foraging stratum: subterranean/leaf litter (Greer et al., 2021)
• Foraging behaviour: cooperative (Greer et al., 2021)

Morphology

Worker Morphology

 Explore: Show all Worker Morphology data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

 • Eyes: 0-10 ommatidia • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: absent • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: none or weak • Sting: present • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: polymorphic

Karyotype

Species Uncertain

• Amblyopone near fortis: n = 22, 2n = 44, karyotype = 20A + 24M (Australia) (Imai et al., 1977; Mariano et al., 2015) (as Amblyopone cf. fortis).

All Karyotype Records for Genus

• See additional details at the Ant Chromosome Database.

 Explore: Show all Karyotype data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

Click here to show/hide karyotype data.

Taxon	Haploid	Diploid	Karyotype	Locality	Source	Notes
Amblyopone	22	44	20A + 24M	Australia	Imai et al., 1977; Mariano et al., 2015	as ''Amblyopone'' cf. ''fortis''
Amblyopone australis	24	48	22A + 26M	Australia	Imai et al., 1977; Mariano et al., 2015

Phylogeny

Amblyoponinae

Apomyrma  (1 species, 0 fossil species) Prionopelta  (25 species, 0 fossil species) Amblyopone  (10 species, 0 fossil species) Onychomyrmex  (4 species, 0 fossil species) Fulakora  (25 species, 0 fossil species) Adetomyrma  (9 species, 0 fossil species), some Stigmatomma Myopopone  (1 species, 1 fossil species), some Stigmatomma some Stigmatomma Xymmer  (2 species, 0 fossil species) Mystrium  (14 species, 0 fossil species) some Stigmatomma

See Phylogeny of Amblyoponinae for details.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

• AMBLYOPONE [Amblyoponinae]
  • Amblyopone Erichson, 1842: 260. Type-species: Amblyopone australis, by monotypy.
  • Amblyopone senior synonym of Amblyopopone: Forel, 1893a: 166; Emery, 1911d: 25.
  • Amblyopone senior synonym of Neoamblyopone, Protamblyopone: Brown, 1949c: 87; Brown, 1960a: 155.
  • Amblyopone senior synonym of Amblyopopona: Bolton, 1994: 164.
• AMBLYOPOPONA [junior synonym of Amblyopone]
  • Amblyopopona Schulz, W.A. 1906: 154, unjustified emendation of Amblyopone.
  • Amblyopopona junior synonym of Amblyopone: Bolton, 1994: 164.
• AMBLYOPOPONE [junior synonym of Amblyopone]
  • Amblyopopone Dalla Torre, 1893: 13, unjustified emendation of Amblyopone.
  • Amblyopopone junior synonym of Amblyopone: Forel, 1893a: 166.
• NEOAMBLYOPONE [junior synonym of Amblyopone]
  • Neoamblyopone Wheeler, W.M. 1927c: 1 [as subgenus of Amblyopone]. Type-species: Amblyopone (Neoamblyopone) clarki, by monotypy.
  • Neoamblyopone junior synonym of Amblyopone: Brown, 1949c: 87.
• PROTAMBLYOPONE [junior synonym of Amblyopone]
  • Protamblyopone Wheeler, W.M. 1927c: 1 [as subgenus of Amblyopone]. Type-species: Amblyopone (Protamblyopone) aberrans, by monotypy.
  • Protamblyopone junior synonym of Amblyopone: Brown, 1949c: 87.

References

• Ashmead, W. H. 1905c. A skeleton of a new arrangement of the families, subfamilies, tribes and genera of the ants, or the superfamily Formicoidea. Can. Entomol. 37: 381-384 (page 382, Amblyopone in Pachycondylinae, Amblyoponini)
• Baroni Urbani, C. 1978a. Contributo alla conoscenza del genere Amblyopone Erichson (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Mitt. Schweiz. Entomol. Ges. 51: 39-51 (page 41, Key to Mediterranean region)
• Bolton, B. 1994. Identification guide to the ant genera of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 222 pp. (page 164, Amblyopone senior synonym of Amblyopopona)
• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 154, Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini)
• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1949e. A new American Amblyopone, with notes on the genus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Psyche (Camb.) 56: 81-88. (page 87, Amblyopone senior synonym of Neoamblyopone and Protamblyopone)
• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1953c. Characters and synonymies among the genera of ants. Part I. Breviora 11: 1-13 (page 11, Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini)
• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1960a. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. III. Tribe Amblyoponini (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 122: 143-230 (page 155, Amblyopone senior synonym of Arotropus, Ericapelta, Lithomyrmex Clark, Neoamblyopone, Protamblyopone, Stigmatomma (and its junior synonyms Fulakora and Xymmer))
• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1960a. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. III. Tribe Amblyoponini (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 122: 143-230 (page 155, Revision of genus)
• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1973b. A comparison of the Hylean and Congo-West African rain forest ant faunas. Pp. 161-185 in: Meggers, B. J., Ayensu, E. S., Duckworth, W. D. (eds.) Tropical forest ecosystems in Africa and South America: a comparative review. Wash (page 183, Amblyopone provisional senior synonym of Paraprionopelta (unconfirmed))
• Burchill, A.T., Moreau, C.S. 2016. Colony size evolution in ants: macroevolutionary trends. Insectes Sociaux 63, 291–298 (doi:10.1007/s00040-016-0465-3).
• Cantone S. 2017. Winged Ants, The Male, Dichotomous key to genera of winged male ants in the World, Behavioral ecology of mating flight (self-published).
• Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
• Clark, J. 1951. The Formicidae of Australia. Vol. 1. Subfamily Myrmeciinae. Melbourne: CSIRO, 230 pp. (page 15, Amblyopone in Amblyoponinae)
• Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 13, Amblyopone in Ponerinae)
• Donisthorpe, H. 1943g. A list of the type-species of the genera and subgenera of the Formicidae. [part]. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 11(10): 617-688 (page 621, Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini)
• Emery, C. 1895d. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der nordamerikanischen Ameisenfauna. (Schluss). Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere 8: 257-360 (page 261, Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini)
• Emery, C. 1895l. Die Gattung Dorylus Fab. und die systematische Eintheilung der Formiciden. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere 8: 685-778 (page 766, Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini)
• Emery, C. 1901b. Notes sur les sous-familles des Dorylines et Ponérines (Famille des Formicides). Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 45: 32-54 (page 34, Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini)
• Emery, C. 1911e. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125 (page 25, Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini)
• Emery, C.; Forel, A. 1879. Catalogue des Formicides d'Europe. Mitt. Schweiz. Entomol. Ges. 5: 441-481 (page 455, Amblyopone in Ponerinae [Poneridae])
• Erichson, W. F. 1842. Beitrag zur Insecten-Fauna von Vandiemensland, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der geographischen Verbreitung der Insecten. Arch. Naturgesch. 8 (1): 83-287 (page 260, Amblyopone as genus)
• Forel, A. 1893b. Sur la classification de la famille des Formicides, avec remarques synonymiques. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 37: 161-167 (page 162, Amblyopone in Amblyoponinae)
• Forel, A. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 235, Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini)
• Larabee, F.J., Suarez, A.V. 2014. The evolution and functional morphology of trap-jaw ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 20: 25-36.
• Lattke, J. E. 1991d. Studies of neotropical Amblyopone Erichson (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Contr. Sci. (Los Angel.) 428: 1-7 (page 6, Key to Neotropical region)
• Lea, A. M. (1910). Australian and Tasmanian Coleoptera inhabiting or resorting to the nests of ants, bees, and termites. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 23: 116–230.
• Lea, A. M. (1910). The guests of ants, bees, and termites. Vict. Nat. 27: 50–56.
• Lorite, P., Palomeque, T. 2010. Karyotype evolution in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a review of the known ant chromosome numbers. Myrmecological News 13: 89-102.
• Mariano, C.S.F., Santos, I.S., Silva, J.G., Costa, M.A., Pompolo, S.G. 2015. Citogenética e evolução do cariótipo em formigas poneromorfas. In: Delabie, J.H.C., Feitosa, R.M., Serrao, J.E., Mariano, C.S.F., Majer, J.D. (eds) As formigas poneromorfas do Brasil, 1st edn. Ilhéus, Brasil, pp 102–125 (doi:10.7476/9788574554419.0010).
• Mayr, G. 1862. Myrmecologische Studien. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 12: 649-776 (page 714, Amblyopone in Ponerinae [Poneridae])
• Mayr, G. 1865. Formicidae. In: Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte "Novara" um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859. Zoologischer Theil. Bd. II. Abt. 1. Wien: K. Gerold's Sohn, 119 pp. (page 16, Amblyopone in Ponerinae [Poneridae])
• Mayr, G. 1887. Südamerikanische Formiciden. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 37: 511-632 (page 546, Amblyopone senior synonym of Stigmatomma)
• Ohnishi, H., Imai, H. T., Yamamoto, M.-T. (2003). Molecular phylogentic analysis of ant subfamily relationship inferred from rDNA sequences. Genes Genet. Syst. 78: 419–425.
• Peeters, C. 1997. Morphologically “primitive” ants: comparative review of social characters, and the importance of queen-worker dimorphism. Pages 372-391 In: Choe, J. & B. Crespi (eds) The Evolution of Social Behavior in Insects and Arachnids. Cambridge University Press. (doi:10.1017/CBO9780511721953.019).
• Provancher, L. 1887b. Fam. X. - Les Formicides. [part]. Pp. 229-244 in: Provancher, L. 1885-1889. Additions et corrections au Volume II de la Faune entomologique du Canada, traitant des Hyménoptères. Québec: C. Darveau, 477 pp. (page 240, Amblyopone senior synonym of Arotropus)
• Smith, F. 1858b. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part VI. Formicidae. London: British Museum, 216 pp. (page 108, Amblyopone in Poneridae)
• Smith, F. 1871a. A catalogue of the Aculeate Hymenoptera and Ichneumonidae of India and the Eastern Archipelago. With introductory remarks by A. R. Wallace. [part]. J. Linn. Soc. Lond. Zool. 11: 285-348 (page 324, Amblyopone in Poneridae)
• Wheeler, W. M. (1927). Ants of the genus Amblyopone Erichson. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 62: 1–29.
• Wheeler, W. M. 1910b. Ants: their structure, development and behavior. New York: Columbia University Press, xxv + 663 pp. (page 134, Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1922i. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VII. Keys to the genera and subgenera of ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 631-710 (page 641, Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini)
• Yoshimura, M. & Fisher, B.L. 2012. A revision of male ants of the Malagasy Amblyoponinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with resurrections of the genera Stigmatomma and Xymmer. PLoS ONE 7(3):e33325 DOI:[1].