Anochetus ghilianii

Anochetus ghilianii is a species of ant of the subfamily Ponerinae, which is native to Morocco, and it also has a not confirmed status in Gibraltar and Spain, as scientists are not sure whether its native or exotic due having a very low area where it lives in the Iberian peninsula (Only found in the province of Cadiz in Spain).[1]

Anochetus ghilianii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hymenoptera
Suborder:
Apocrita
Family:
Formicidae
Subfamily:
Ponerinae
Genus:
Anochetus
Species:
A. ghilianii
Binomial name
Anochetus ghilianii
(Spinola, 1851)

The species is monogynous, the queens of this species is ergatoid, meaning that it does not have wings. However, the males from the colony do have wings. The worker numbers can vary from having between 300-250 in early months of the year to just between 10-50 in the summer,[2] thus the colonies are not very big and they are usually 20-30cm deep.

How to identify

This species is very easy to identify from other species, as there aren't other Ponerinae trap jaw ants species in Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula. Also, the other trap jaw ants in these countries are from the Strumigenys genus and have triangle heads instead of hexagonal heads. These things mean that it is impossible to confuse it for another species from those countries.

Defense and attack

Just like other Anochetus and Odontomachus species, this species has both a stinger and its iconic mandibles which they use to defend themselves and get prey. The stinger is used to inject a toxin that paralyses its pray. The mandibles can be both used to bite and snap it against something to propel themselves backwards for a quick escape.

References
  1. "Antmaps A.Ghilianii". Antmaps.
  2. "Cycle of Life of Anochetus ghilianii".


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