Cardiocondyla

Cardiocondyla species generally nest in soil while a few nest in rotten wood on trees or even in hollow grass stems. They forage on the ground surface or occasionally arboreally. Because of their small size and habit of moving slowly, they are often overlooked. Several species are well-known pests in tropical regions throughout the world. All of the 4 or 5 species found in North America are introduced from the Old World. These are small "tramp" ants, commonly transported via commerce, especially in potted plants. Males of some species are wingless and worker-like ("ergatoid") and in a few both normal, winged males as well as these wingless forms are found. Worker-like males fight among themselves until only one survives in the nest.



Worker of C. atalanta from New South Wales.

Identification
In side view the pronotum, mesonotum and propodeum form a continuous flat to weakly arched surface which is interrupted only by the shallow metanotal groove. The propodeum is armed with short and triangular to long and thin spines. The postpetiole is swollen, wider than long and much broader than the petiole when viewed from above. The combination of these characters will separate these ants from all others in the subfamily Myrmicinae.

Distribution and Habitats
Australian distribution

Regional Species Lists

 * Australia

Keys to Species

 * Australia