Error message
Unable to fetch location details at this time.
Ectatomma Ant
Ectatomma tuberculatum
16.7285, -92.9332
Field Notes
Description:
Large red ant, maybe 8mm long. It was carefully carrying a drop of nectar between it's jaws. They collect the nectar from extrafloral nectaries and flowers and when the drop is large, they will transport it back to the nest at the base of the tree or shrub. The nest usually has a dirt "chimney-like" entrance resting against the trunk and I wish I had looked for it. See this great article about Ectatomma tuberculatum biology.
http://academic.evergreen.edu/projects/ants/genera/ectatomma/species/tu….
Habitat:
Heavy vegetation, km 11.5, Highway between Chiapa de Corzo and San Cristobal de Las Casas, 865 meters.
Notes:
While these ants have nests in the ground, usually at the base of a tree, they are not ground foragers and are almost always found on foliage where they obtain nectar from flowers and also attend to homopterans such as Treehoppers.
Comments (6)