Mystrium camillae belongs to the sub family of vampire ants Amblyoponinae. Many speices of this sub family are specialist hunter of the geophilomorph and other small centipedes. Mystrium camillae are slow moving ants.
Mystrium camillae is polygynous and polymorphic. There are three morphological expression in the workers caste.
Mystrium camillae ants with brood of larvae and pupae. The queen is far left.
The queen or gyne of Mystrium camillae.
The minor, median and major worker of Mystrium camillae.
Mystrium camillae queen.
A Mystrium camillae worker carrying a larva.
A Mystrium camillae major worker.
Mystrium camillae queen, workers, larvae and pupae.
All the three workers caste of Mystrium camillae with the brood.
Mystrium camillae workers and brood.
A geophilomorph centipede, the prey of choice of Amblyopone ants.
See also:
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Infraclass: Neoptera
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita
Infraorder: Aculeata
Superfamily: Vespoidea
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Amblyoponinae
Tribe: Amblyoponini 219763
Genus: Mystrium 237674
Species: camillae
Last Updated: 2012 07 29
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Where do you find this species? And do you know when they have their nuptial flight?
ReplyDeleteMystrium are hunters of small and tiny centipedes. They are mainly found in areas where there are considerable tree coverage. Like most ants their nuptials are during the rainy season particularly the beginning of it.
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