Nearctic: California > Amblyoponinae > Amblyopone

Genus: Amblyopone

Author: P.S.Ward , Revised: 1/18/2004

Taxonomic Hierarchy:

Subfamily: Amblyoponinae Genus: Amblyopone

Identification:

Worker: mandibles elongate and multidentate, with an acute tooth at apex; anterior clypeal margin with a row of specialized stout setae; eyes reduced or absent; mesonotum short and transverse; abdominal segment 2 (petiole) broadly attached to segment 3 and lacking a distinct posterior face; sting well developed.

Biology:

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.

Notes:

Amblyopone occurs in all major biogeographic regions. Two species are recorded from California.

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2010)

Amblyopone Erichson, 1842: 260. Type-species: Amblyopone australis, by monotypy.

Taxonomic history

Amblyopone in Poneridae: Smith, F. 1858b: 108; Smith, F. 1871a: 324.

Amblyopone in Ponerinae: Mayr, 1862: 714 (in key) [Poneridae]; Mayr, 1865: 16 [Poneridae]; Emery & Forel, 1879a: 455 [Poneridae]; Dalla Torre, 1893: 13.

Amblyopone in Amblyoponinae: Forel, 1893a: 162; Clark, 1951: 15 (in key).

Amblyopone in Pachycondylinae, Amblyoponini: Ashmead, 1905b: 382.

Amblyopone in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini: Emery, 1895c: 261; Emery, 1895j: 766; Emery, 1901a: 34; Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 134; Emery, 1911d: 25; Forel, 1917: 235; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 641; Donisthorpe, 1943f: 621; Brown, 1953c: 11; all subsequent authors to the following.

Amblyopone in Amblyoponinae, Amblyoponini: Bolton, 2003: 42, 154.

Junior synonyms of AMBLYOPONE

Stigmatomma Roger, 1859: 250. Type-species: Stigmatomma denticulatum, by subsequent designation of Bingham, 1903: 36.

Taxonomic history

Stigmatomma in Ponerinae: Mayr, 1861: 53 [Poneridae]; Mayr, 1862: 714 [Poneridae]; Mayr, 1865: 16 [Poneridae]; Dalla Torre, 1893: 14.

Stigmatomma in Amblyoponinae: Forel, 1893a: 162; Forel, 1895b: 110 [Amblyoponeridae]

Stigmatomma in Pachycondylinae, Amblyoponini: Ashmead, 1905b: 283.

Stigmatomma in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini: Emery, 1895j: 766; Emery, 1901a: 34; Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 134; Emery, 1911d: 23; Forel, 1917: 235; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 641.

Stigmatomma as subgenus of Amblyopone: Forel, 1900c: 55; Clark, 1934b: 27; Brown, 1949c: 87.

Stigmatomma as genus: Roger, 1859: 250; Dalla Torre, 1893: 14; Emery, 1895j: 766; Bingham, 1903: 36; Emery, 1911d: 23; Forel, 1917: 235; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 641; Borgmeier, 1923: 52; Donisthorpe, 1943g: 728; Creighton, 1950a: 31; Kusnezov, 1956: 12.

Stigmatomma as junior synonym of Amblyopone: Emery & Forel, 1879a: 455; Mayr, 1887: 546; Brown, 1960a: 155; all subsequent authors.

Arotropus Provancher, 1881a: 205. Type-species: Arotropus binodosus (junior synonym of Typhlopone pallipes), by monotypy.

Taxonomic history

Arotropus as junior synonym of Amblyopone: Provancher, 1887: 240; Brown, 1960a: 155.

Amblyopopone Dalla Torre, 1893: 13, unjustified emendation of Amblyopone.

Taxonomic history

Amblyopopone as junior synonym of Amblyopone: Forel, 1893a: 166; Emery, 1911d: 25.

Amblyopopona Schulz, W.A. 1906: 154, unjustified emendation of Amblyopone.

Taxonomic history

Amblyopopona as junior synonym of Amblyopone: Bolton, 1994: 164.

Xymmer Santschi, 1914d: 311 [as subgenus of Stigmatomma]. Type-species: Stigmatomma (Xymmer) muticum, by monotypy.

Taxonomic history

Xymmer as subgenus of Stigmatomma: Santschi, 1914d: 311; Forel, 1917: 235; Emery, 1919c: 106; Donisthorpe, 1943g: 737.

Xymmer as genus: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 641 (in key).

Xymmer as subgenus of Amblyopone: Clark, 1934b: 27.

Xymmer as junior synonym of Stigmatomma: Brown, 1949c: 87.

Xymmer as junior synonym of Amblyopone: Brown, 1960a: 155.

Fulakora Mann, 1919: 279 [as subgenus of Stigmatomma]. Type-species: Stigmatomma (Fulakora) celata, by original designation.

Taxonomic history

Fulakora as junior synonym of Stigmatomma: Brown, 1949c: 88.

Fulakora as junior synonym of Amblyopone: Brown, 1960a: 155.

Neoamblyopone Wheeler, W.M. 1927c: 1 [as subgenus of Amblyopone]. Type-species: Amblyopone (Neoamblyopone) clarki, by monotypy.

Taxonomic history

Neoamblyopone as junior synonym of Amblyopone: Brown, 1949c: 87; Brown, 1960a: 155.

Protamblyopone Wheeler, W.M. 1927c: 1 [as subgenus of Amblyopone]. Type-species: Amblyopone (Protamblyopone) aberrans, by monotypy.

Taxonomic history

Protamblyopone as junior synonym of Amblyopone: Brown, 1949c: 87; Brown, 1960a: 155.

Lithomyrmex Clark, 1928a: 30. Type-species: Lithomyrmex glauerti, by original designation.

Taxonomic history

Lithomyrmex in Ponerinae, Amblyoponini: Clark, 1928a: 30.

Lithomyrmex as junior synonym of Amblyopone: Brown, 1960a: 156.

Ericapelta Kusnezov, 1955: 273. Type-species: Ericapelta egregia, by monotypy.

Taxonomic history

Ericapelta as junior synonym of Amblyopone: Brown, 1960a: 156.

Genus Amblyopone references

Roger, 1863b: 20 (catalogue); Mayr, 1863: 394, 454 (catalogue); Mayr, 1865: 16 (Amblyopone, Stigmatomma diagnoses); Andr�, 1882c: 233 (Europe & Algeria species key); Cresson, 1887: 259 (U.S.A. catalogue); Dalla Torre, 1893: 13, 14 (Amblyopone, Stigmatomma catalogues); Forel, 1900c: 55 (India & Sri Lanka species key); Bingham, 1903: 37 (India, Sri Lanka & Burma Stigmatomma species key); Emery, 1911d: 23 (Stigmatomma diagnosis, catalogue); Emery, 1911d: 25 (diagnosis, catalogue); Santschi, 1915a: 55 (Mediterranean species key); Emery, 1916b: 100 (Italy species key); Bondroit, 1918: 80 (France & Belgium species key); Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 758 (Afrotropical catalogue); Wheeler, W.M. 1927c: 3 (Austral & New Guinea species key); Chapman & Capco, 1951: 22, 24 (Asia Amblyopone, Stigmatomma checklists);