Pachycondyla

This is a large and diverse group of ants. They nest in soil either in the open or under rocks and logs, in rotten wood or occasionally in dense vegetation such as grass tussocks. While most are general predators or scavengers, a few are specialist predators on termites. Most species forage singly on the ground surface (moving quite rapidly) while others are limited to leaf litter or under objects on the ground. Some are also known to forage on trees at night. At least one species, which specialises on termites, uses scouts to locate prey and then returns to their nest to recruit additional workers to the newly found food source. Queens are absent in some species, being replaced by fertilised workers.



Worker of Pachycondyla from Queensland.



Worker of P. regularis from Western Australila.



Worker of P. croceicornis from Queensland.

Identification
The mandibles are triangular, with numerous small teeth along their inner margins, and touch the front of the clypeus when closed. The forward sections of the frontal lobes and antennal sockets are very close together and are separated by at most a very narrow rearward extension of the clypeus (sometimes the clypeus does not extend back between the frontal lobes and they are touching throughout their length). With the head viewed from the front, the clypeus extends across the entire width of the head in the form of a broadly rounded or angular plate, and the frontal lobes and antennal sockets are well behind the front margin. The node of the petiole has distinct front, top and rear faces. The tips of the tibiae of the hind legs each have two spurs, one large and comb-like (pectinate) and one small and simple (best viewed from the front).

Workers of Pachycondyla are most often confused with workers of Cryptopone, Hypoponera and Ponera because of the overall similarly shaped bodies. However, Pachycondyla differs from these in having both a large comb-like and a smaller simple spur on the hind leg (the others have only a single comb-like spur on the hind leg).

Distribution and Habitats
Australian distribution

Regional Species Lists

 * Australia

Keys to Species

 * Australia