This species is one of the most common Pachycondyla species in Costa Rica. Foragers are common on the ground, never arboreal, and relatively more abundant at night. They occur in most samples of sifted leaf litter (Winkler samples), and I collected them once at a tuna bait. In Corcovado, I once observed a mid-morning mating swarm inside an insectary.
I have never found a nest of this common species. The nest must be subterranean. If they nested in the leaf litter or in dead wood, nests would be more frequently encountered.
Garcia-P. et al. (1997) observed harpax preying on termites (Gnathamitermes tubiformans) in the wild.
When pursued with forceps, workers release a stream of clear viscous secretion from the top of the abdomen (Overal 1987). Overal suggests these are defensive secretions employed in tunnels, where room is lacking in which to wield the sting.
Widespread in mainland Neotropics, from southern USA (Louisiana) to northern Argentina; also in Jamaica. Costa Rica: widespread in lowland forest, sea level to about 500m elevation, wet and dry forest habitats.
Taxonomic history
Wheeler, 1900b PDF: 4, 17 (q.m.l.); Wheeler & Wheeler, 1952c PDF: 618 (l.).Combination in Pachycondyla: Roger, 1863b PDF: 18.Status as species: Smith, 1858a PDF: 49; Roger, 1862c PDF: 288; Roger, 1863b PDF: 18, 47; Mayr, 1863a PDF: 439; Mayr, 1870a PDF: 397 (in key); Emery, 1890b PDF: 58, 71 (in key); Emery, 1890c PDF: 42; Cameron, 1891: 91; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 34; Emery, 1894l PDF: 48; Forel, 1895b PDF: 114; Emery, 1895d PDF: 266; Pergande, 1896 PDF: 873; Forel, 1899b PDF: 12; Wheeler, 1900b PDF: 4; Forel, 1901k PDF: 347; Forel, 1905e PDF: 156; Wheeler, 1907b PDF: 271; Wheeler, 1908h PDF: 401 (redescription); Forel, 1909a PDF: 246; Wheeler, 1910a PDF: 561; Emery, 1911e PDF: 75; Wheeler, 1911a PDF: 21; Forel, 1911e PDF: 285; Mann, 1916 PDF: 415; Wheeler, 1916f PDF: 323; Crawley, 1916b PDF: 367; Luederwaldt, 1918 PDF: 35; Mann, 1922 PDF: 7; Wheeler, 1922e PDF: 3; Borgmeier, 1923: 70; Wheeler, 1925a: 5; Brown, 1950g PDF: 247; Creighton, 1950a PDF: 44; Smith, 1958c PDF: 111; Kempf, 1961b PDF: 493; Kempf, 1961e PDF: 194; Kempf, 1964e PDF: 52 (in key); Smith, 1967a PDF: 347; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 174; Smith, 1979: 1340; Brandão, 1991 PDF: 365; Bolton, 1995b: 305; Wild, 2003 PDF: 9; Wild, 2007b PDF: 39; Mackay et al., 2008 PDF: 193; MacKay & MacKay, 2010 PDF: 374 (redescription).Senior synonym of Pachycondyla amplinoda: Emery, 1895d PDF: 266; Pergande, 1896 PDF: 873; Wheeler, 1900b PDF: 2; Wheeler, 1902g PDF: 25; Wheeler, 1908h PDF: 401; Brown, 1950g PDF: 247; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 174; Smith, 1979: 1340; Brandão, 1991 PDF: 365; Bolton, 1995b: 302; MacKay & MacKay, 2010 PDF: 374.Senior synonym of Pachycondyla harpax concinna: Brown, 1950g PDF: 247; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 174; Smith, 1979: 134 ; Bolton, 1995b: 302: 1340; MacKay & MacKay, 2010 PDF: 374.Senior synonym of Pachycondyla harpax dibullana: Brown, 1950g PDF: 247; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 174; Smith, 1979: 1340; Bolton, 1995b: 302; MacKay & MacKay, 2010 PDF: 374.Senior synonym of Pachycondyla montezumia: Roger, 1862c PDF: 288; Roger, 1863b PDF: 18; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 34; Forel, 1895b PDF: 114; Pergande, 1896 PDF: 873; Brown, 1950g PDF: 247; Smith, 1958c PDF: 111; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 174; Smith, 1979: 1340; Bolton, 1995b: 302; MacKay & MacKay, 2010 PDF: 374.Senior synonym of Pachycondyla orizabana: Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 34; Forel, 1895b PDF: 114; Pergande, 1896 PDF: 873; Brown, 1950g PDF: 247; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 174; Smith, 1979: 1340; Bolton, 1995b: 302; MacKay & MacKay, 2010 PDF: 374.Amambay, Canindeyú , Concepción , Cordillera, Guairá , Itapúa (ALWC, BMNH, IFML, INBP, MHNG). Literature records: Amambay, Canindeyú , Cordillera “Paraguay” (s. loc.) (Emery 1890a, Forel 1895, Wild 2003).
Formica harpax Fabricius , 1804, Systema Piezatorum, p. 401, worker.
Pachycondyla montezumia, Pred. Smith, 1858, Catalogue of the Hymenoptera of the British Museum, 6:108, worker, [[male]]. (New synonymy.)
Pachycondyla harpax var. dibullana Forel, 1901, Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 9:347, worker. (New synonymy.)
Pachycondyla harpax var. irina Wheeler , 1925, Arkiv fuer Zoologi, 17A (8):5, worker. (New synonymy.)
Pachycondyla harpax var. concinna Wheeler , 1925, Ibid., p. 5, worker, [[queen]]. (New synonymy.)
I have examined many specimens of the P. harpax complex, including those in the Wheeler collection placed as P. montezumia , and types of P. h. irina and P. h. concinna . The northsouth variation which has been claimed by Forel and Wheeler as the basis for retention of P. montezumia seems to me very difficult to demonstrate. I would call this situation at most a very weak cline. If I could pick a random series of this group from throughout the range and hide the labels, I feel sure that the percentage of determinations to the correct "race" by any competent entomologist would be little more than could be accounted for by chance. The bluish metallic reflections seen in many P. harpax workers constitute a widely distributed phenomenon among dark ponerines which is greatly overworked as a taxonomic criterion. State of preservation of specimens, presence of oil or dirt, and other factors can affect this metallescence to such a degree that its value is highly doubtful. Under a bluewhite fluorescent lamp, it cannot be seen at all, even when clear under a yellow light. If P. harpax can be broken down into categories correctly bearing the names synonymized above, there is presently no published proof of the fact that cannot easily be refuted by the proper survey of the series at hand in most large American and European museums. Additional collecting may change the interpretation here set forth, but if any of the names listed above are to be resurrected, it will have to be on a sounder basis than were the original definitions. The palps are segmented 4, 4.
- Las Trincheras, La Moka.
[[worker]] [[queen]]. Raiz da Serra, Sao Paulo (v. Ihering).
Pachycondyla harpax, the rapacious panther ant, is a species of ant in the family Formicidae.[1][2][3][4]
Pachycondyla harpax, the rapacious panther ant, is a species of ant in the family Formicidae.
Rapacious panther ant, Pachycondyla harpax 
Rapacious panther ant, Pachycondyla harpax
