Mystery
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Mystrium mysticum |
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| Roger , 1862 |
Mystrium is a genus of ants from the subfamily of Amblyoponinae . 14 species are known.
description
The species of the genus Mystrium are dark colored and eyeless ants. The queen is usually only slightly larger than the workers, but usually has a slightly larger guest. The Mystrium rogeri species is known to have a mechanism with which they can “snap” their mandibles, for example to defend themselves against enemies or to incapacitate hard-armored prey. To do this, they press their mandibles together so that a strong tension is built up. Then they let the jaws slide past each other in a flash. The energy released is strong enough to kill termites or other ants.
distribution
The genus can only be found in the tropics of the Old World. 10 species are restricted to Madagascar, another species lives on the African mainland and three species are native to the island world of Oceania and South Asia.
Systematics
Internal system
The 14 known species are:
- Mystrium barrybressleri Yoshimura & Fisher, 2014
- Mystrium camillae Emery, 1889
- Mystrium eques Yoshimura & Fisher, 2014
- Mystrium janovitzi Yoshimura & Fisher, 2014
- Mystrium labyrinth Yoshimura & Fisher, 2014
- Mystrium leonie Bihn & Verhaagh, 2007
- Mystrium maren Bihn & Verhaagh, 2007
- Mystrium mirror Yoshimura & Fisher, 2014
- Mystrium mysticum Roger, 1862
- Mystrium oberthueri Forel, 1897
- Mystrium rogeri Forel, 1899
- Mystrium shadow Yoshimura & Fisher, 2014
- Mystrium silvestrii Santschi, 1914
- Mystrium voeltzkowi Forel, 1897
External system
The rare genus belongs to the primitive subfamily of the Amblyoponinae.
behavior
The genus shows, unusual for primitive groups, recruiting behavior. In return, they have, unique in the world of ants, an unpaired sternal gland in the seventh abdominal sternite. Species of the genus Mystrium have a predatory diet . They mostly hunt underground. Solitary scouts swarm out and, if they cannot overcome the prey on their own, recruit workers from the nest. These pheromone-supported signals can be amplified and supported by moving the front body back and forth.
swell
- Bert Hölldobler, Edward O. Wilson: The superorganism