About Ectatomma opaciventre (Roger, 1861)
Ectatomma opaciventre (Roger, 1861) is a South American ant species belonging to the subfamily Ectatomminae. In the Brazilian savannah, its nests occur at low density and are restricted to specific microhabitats. The foraging ecology of E. opaciventre has been studied in detail. Worker ants of this species forage during the day. They act as scavengers and predators of live arthropods, with prey primarily consisting of leaf cutter ants and termites. Opportunistically consuming both dead and alive animal protein is a typical trait for ants of the Ectatomma genus. Among the studied Ectatomma ants, E. opaciventre has the least diverse diet. Unlike other species in the genus, E. opaciventre does not collect liquid food. This species forages individually, and workers show individual-level spatial fidelity in their foraging habits, which is referred to as 'path fidelity'.
