Anochetus

These ants form small nests, usually with fewer than 100 workers, in soil, in termite nests, under logs and in rotten wood. They are predacious on small invertebrates with some species known to specialise on termites, using their trap-like jaws and sting to capture and subdue prey. They commonly forage in leaf litter and are less frequently found in the open, especially when compared to workers of the closely related genus Odontomachus.



Worker of A. armstrongi from Queensland.

Identification
When viewed from the front, the outer surface of the head is complex, with narrow sections above and below bulging convexities which contain the eyes. The mandibles are long and straight, are inserted in the middle of the front margin of the head, and generally have only 2 or 3 large teeth near the tips (although they sometimes have small teeth along the inner margins which are much smaller than the teeth at the tips). The top of the head is uniformly coloured and lacks dark lines. The upper front of the head is usually smooth although it sometimes has a weak, ill-defined central groove.

The unique shape of the head and mandibles will separate these ants from all others except Odontomachus. Anochetus differs from Odontomachus in being smaller in overall length, in having the upper surface of the head smooth and without a pair of dark lines, in having the gaster with a constriction between the first and second segments and in having the upper surface of the petiole either rounded or with a pair of small teeth and never with a single spine.

Distribution and Habitats
Australian distribution



Regional Species Lists

 * Australia

Keys to Species

 * Australia