Ponera sculpta, Jerdon, T. C., 1851

Jerdon, T. C., 1851, A catalogue of the species of ants found in southern India., Madras Journal of Literature and Science 17, pp. 103-127 : 117

publication ID

4764

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FB264387-6556-4A30-B9E3-B490D5A1293A

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6297906

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D1ADF704-D1E4-78CF-B452-CF13621F2C9E

treatment provided by

Christiana

scientific name

Ponera sculpta
status

N. S.

26. Ponera sculpta   HNS N. S.

Worker, length from 5 - 17 th of an inch to nearly 1 / 3 an inch; head oblong, pointed in front and rounded behind; jaws large, triangular, armed with alternately a large and a small tooth; eyes very large, nearly medial; antennae inserted on a line just in front of the eyes, rather long; thorax nearly uniform in width and height; abdominal pedicle raised, pointing forwards, with two snail spines; abdomen long, cylindric; legs long; the whole body curiously sculptured, being channeled and grooved in different directions, longitudinally, circularly, obliquely, giving a peculiar dull appearance; colour blackish green.

This is one of the commonest species of Ant in Malabar, extending from the level of the sea up to the top of the Neilgherries. It lives in the ground in small societies, often making its nest in a flower pot, occasionally under a large stone. It does not work in concert, being generally seen solitary. It lives on animal sub-stances, but apparently will also take vegetable matter. I have seen two fighting for a ripe seed of the Lantana. I have not met with the female of this species.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Ponera

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