Members of the genus Amblyopone have cryptic foraging habits and are specialist predators on certain arthropods, especially centipedes, living in soil or rotten wood. Despite these specialized habits, the ants of this genus also possess some behavioral and morphological traits considered "primitive" (ancestral) for ants as a whole.

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Ants in the genus Amblyopone have cryptic foraging habits and are specialist predators on geophilomorph centipedes and other arthropods living in soil or rotten wood. Two species are known from California: A. oregonensis (Wheeler) is found in shaded, medium-elevation coniferous forests in northern California, while A. pallipes (Haldeman) is widespread in chaparral and low elevation woodland.

 

Species identification: Ward (1988). Additional references: Brown (1960a), Creighton (1940b), Haskins (1928), Lattke (1991d), Lacau and Delabie (2002), Traniello (1978, 1982).

Amblyopone , Erichs. Wiegm. Archiv (1842), p. 260. Female. Head subquadrate; antennae 12-jointed, the scape subclavate; mandibles straight, toothed in the middle on their inner edge and at their apex; eyes lateral, round, and of medium size; minute in the workers; ocelli three, in a triangle on the vertex, wanting in the workers. Thorax oblong-ovate. Wings: anterior pair with one marginal and two submarginal cells, the second extending to the apex of the wings; the thorax narrowed posteriorly in the workers. Legs short and stout, claws of the tarsi simple. Abdomen: the node of the peduncle subquadrate-rotundate, a deep strangulation between the first and second segments.

 

Male. Head transverse. Antennae 13-jointed; scape short and conical.

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