Stigmatomma

Roger, 1859

Dracula ants

Species Guides

Stigmatomma oregonense(Western Dracula Ant)
Stigmatomma pallipes(vampire ant)

Stigmatomma is a of ants in the Amblyoponinae with worldwide distribution. The genus was revived from synonymy with Amblyopone by Yoshimura & Fisher (2012) based on . are specialized with a cryptobiotic lifestyle, inhabiting soil and rotten wood in humid forests.

Stigmatomma by (c) Jonghyun Park, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jonghyun Park. Used under a CC-BY license.

Stigmatomma by (c) 青李, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by 青李. Used under a CC-BY license.

Stigmatomma by (c) portioid, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by portioid. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Stigmatomma: //ˌstɪɡməˈtoʊmə//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Distinguished from the closely related Amblyopone by ; specific diagnostic characters include differences in mandible structure that warranted generic separation. Identification to level requires examination of morphometric variables and detailed morphological characters.

Images

Habitat

Soil or rotten logs in humid forest .

Distribution

Worldwide distribution including the Malagasy biogeographic region (Madagascar and Seychelles), with particular diversity in Madagascar.

Diet

Specialized of other arthropods, particularly geophilomorph ; some Palearctic have been observed to obtain up to 80% of their diet from such centipedes.

Life Cycle

Larvae feed directly on prey positioned on food source; between larvae and has not been reported. Larval Feeding (LHF) occurs, where adult females ingest hemolymph from punctures in larval .

Behavior

Cryptobiotic lifestyle with solitary hunting . are solitary hunters that forage individually. In S. reclinatum, workers recruit nestmates to aid in prey recovery. Larval Feeding (LHF) represents a form of nondestructive where feed on hemolymph from their own larvae.

Ecological Role

Predatory ants that contribute to in forest .

Similar Taxa

AmblyoponeFormerly considered congeneric with Stigmatomma; separated based on . Both share specialized predatory habits and cryptobiotic lifestyle in Amblyoponinae.
MystriumAnother of Dracula ants in Amblyoponinae with specialized predatory habits and unusual ; both genera exhibit Larval Feeding and complex systems.