Bothroponera cambouei

Pachycondyla cambouei is an endemic, widespread species found from the north throughout the center and the south of Madagascar. It occupies mainly mesic forests at higher and lower altitudes, and also occurs in littoral and transitional forest habitats. This species dominates the representatives of the genus Pachycondyla across its distribution range. Two or more different forms within the species occur sympatrically in several localities; these sympatric groupings include forms 2 and 6; forms 3 and 6; forms 3 and 7; forms 6 and 7; forms 1, 4, and 7; and forms 1, 5, and 7. Although this species is generally terrestrial, a few specimens have been found foraging on low vegetation. Forms 2–7 occur generally on the mountaintops, while forms 1 and 4 also can be found in lowland forests. Most forage through leaf litter and rarely on the forest floor. Nest series were discovered for most forms, collected frequently from rotten logs, under stones, in the ground, in rotten tree stumps, and between root mat layers, but seldom in dead twigs or branches above the ground. Workers of P. cambouei often play dead when their nests are disturbed. Colonies of forms 5 and 6 have not yet been found, which suggests they may be soil dwellers. The smaller eyes, longer erect hairs, and abundant pubescence in form 6 are also suggestive of an underground life style. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2013)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Nomenclature

 *  cambouei. Bothroponera cambouei Forel, 1891b: 133, pl. 4, fig. 7 (w.q.) MADAGASCAR. Combination in Pachycondyla (Bothroponera): Emery, 1901a: 45; in Bothroponera: Wheeler, 1922: 1007; in Pachycondyla: Bolton, 1995: 303.

Additional References

 * Rakotonirina, J.C. & Fisher, B.L. 2013. Revision of the Pachycondyla wasmannii-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Malagasy region. Zootaxa 3609, 101-141.
 * Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, S.O. 2014. The higher classification of the ant subfamily Ponerinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a review of ponerine ecology and behavior. Zootaxa. 3817, 1–242 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3817.1.1)