Pachycondyla harpax

(Fabricius, 1804)

rapacious panther ant

Pachycondyla harpax is a widespread New World ponerine ant known from South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and the southern United States. It is a conspicuous ground-nesting that forages singly rather than in trails. The species has been documented from over 1,500 collection sites and shows a broad latitudinal range from approximately 32°N in Texas to 32°S in southern Brazil.

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

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Pachycondyla harpax: /ˌpækɪˈkɒndɪlə ˈhɑːrpæks/

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Identification

Pachycondyla harpax can be distinguished from other Pachycondyla by its combination of widespread distribution and ground-nesting habits. It is a relatively large, dark-colored ponerine ant. Specific diagnostic morphological features for field identification are not documented in available sources.

Images

Habitat

Ground-nesting that excavates nests directly in soil. Found in diverse terrestrial across its broad geographic range, including tropical and subtropical forests, savannas, and disturbed areas.

Distribution

South America: all countries except Chile and Uruguay, from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (31.8°S) northward. Central America: all countries. Caribbean: Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Margarita, Trinidad, and Tobago. United States: Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia. The continental range is essentially continuous; island on Grenada, Guadeloupe, and Jamaica may be introduced.

Behavior

Forages solitarily rather than in organized trails. hunt individually for prey items.

Ecological Role

in terrestrial across its range.

Tags

Sources and further reading