Daceton

A striking and, within its range, commonly encountered member of the arboreal ant fauna.

Biology
Azorsa & Sosa-Calvo (2008) - The monotypic ant genus Daceton Perty (Myrmicinae: Dacetini), and its hitherto known sole species Daceton armigerum, is restricted to South American rainforests (Kempf 1972, Fernández & Sendoya 2004, Bolton et. al. 2007). In this region, Daceton and the larger species of the genus Cephalotes are arguably the most morphologically striking arboreal ants. Daceton usually nests in cavities in the branches and trunks of trees previously bored by beetles and other insects. Blum and Portocarrero (1966) and Moffet and Tobin (1991) state that colonies of D. armigerum contain up to 2500 individuals, whereas Wilson (1962) and Hölldobler & Wilson (1990) estimate that colonies contain between 5000 to 10000 workers. Daceton armigerum has a complex continuously polymorphic caste system, in which smaller workers nurse the brood and larger workers hunt, dismember prey items, and defend the nest (Wilson 1962; Oster & Wilson 1978; Hölldobler & Wilson 1990). Wilson (1962) reports that workers of this highly predaceous myrmicine ant hunt individually for a variety of live insects, including flies, grasshoppers, larvae and adults of moths and beetles, and fulgorids. In addition, some workers have been observed tending coccids (Bodkin in Crawley 1916; Brown & Wilson 1960; Wilson 1962). (Refer to Wilson [1962] for further information on the behavior of D. armigerum.) Recently, Yanoviak et al. (2005) found that individuals of D. armigerum show controlled aerial descent behavior. The genus has been considered primitive with respect to other members of the Dacetini (Brown and Wilson 1959; Bolton 1998, 1999, 2000), but a phylogenetic analysis of the tribe is necessary to fully understand the relationships of its constituent species and genera. Current molecular phylogenetic evidence suggests that Dacetini may not be monophyletic (Brady et al. 2006).

Nomenclature

 *  DACETON [Myrmicinae: Dacetini]
 * Daceton Perty, 1833: 136. Type-species: Formica armigera, by monotypy.
 * Daceton senior synonym of Dacetum: Brown, 1973b: 179.
 * DACETUM [junior synonym of Daceton]
 * Dacetum Agassiz, 1846: 332, unjustified emendation of Daceton.
 * Dacetum junior synonym of Daceton: Brown, 1973b: 179.