Prey capture behavior of the arboreal ponerine ant Pachycondyla goeldii (Hymenoptera : Formicidae)

Pachycondyla goeldii, one the rare arboreal ponerine ants, is a generalist predator. We compared its predatory behavior when confronted with different insect prey taxa. The sequence of prey capture is very similar to those of other generalist predators of the subfamily Ponerinae. The agility and swi ftness of the workers enabled them to catch most insect prey before they es cape by flying away, jumping or falling to the ground. Prey detection was m ostly from a short distance and followed by a very rapid attack, generally without any antennal. palpation, resulting in a random seizure. Almost all of the active prey were stung at least one time during capture, even small prey that were easily mastered by the ants. This predatory behavior consist ing in shortening the sequence of capture, with stinging almost obligatory, is therefore well adapted to arboreal life as it permits the capture of ar boreal insects that have developed different antipredator strategies. Prey retrieval was direct and conducted solitarily, suggesting the existence of orientation cues. P. goeldii foragers palpated anaesthetized prey significa ntly more often than they did active prey, while it was the contrary for st inging. The reserve behavior displayed when a prey succeeded in escaping is very similar to those already described. These results are compared to tho se known for other Pachycondyla species and discussed with reference to the adaptation to arboreal life.