Predatory Behavior in Dominant Arboreal Ant Species: The Case of Crematogaster sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Crematogaster sp. is a dominant arboreal ant species that captures and retrieves very large prey. Hunting workers forage collectively thanks to short-range recruitment. They detect prey by contact, then rapidly attack, seizing small prey by the body and large prey by a leg. In this study, almost all the active prey were spread-eagled by several workers, even when small enough to permit a single worker to easily master them. While certain workers spread-eagled the prey, others deposited venom on the prey body using their spatulated sting (topical action of the venom). The well-developed arolia on the pretarsus of workers' legs have crucial importance for the success of prey capture (spread-eagling) and transport in an arboreal habitat. These results are compared with those known for other arboreal-dwelling generalist predator ant species.