This is the most common Gnamptogenys species above 500m elevation in wet forest leaf litter. It occurs at lower elevations (e.g. La Selva) but is less common there. It is frequently encountered foraging on the ground at night, and is common in samples of sifted leaf litter (Winkler samples). It nests in and under dead wood on the ground, under stones, and in soil. It may be polygynous: I observed a nest in Monteverde with two dealate queens. Observations of prey items include lepidopteran larvae, isopods, diptera (adults and larvae), and beetle larvae.
Nest observation from Guanacaste Province, Cerro Cacao: I discovered a nest in the soil of a steep bank at the side of a trail. Many workers were out foraging, and several workers were observed dragging a dead Camponotus albicoxus to the nest. I excavated the nest; it extended no more than 10cm horizontally back into the bank. There were several irregular galleries and chambers. One major chamber contained the queen.
Mexico to Colombia (Brown 1958, Lattke 1995). Costa Rica: widespread in wet forest between 500 and 2000m elevation, rare at lower elevations. Occurs from Cordillera de Guanacaste to Talamancas.
Taxonomic history
[Misspelled as strigosum by Emery, 1896g PDF: 44.].Wheeler & Wheeler, 1964b PDF: 450 (l.).Combination in Ectatomma (Holcoponera): Emery, 1892c PDF: 167.Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 26; Emery, 1896g PDF: 44 (in key); Forel, 1899b PDF: 7; Wheeler, 1908b PDF: 159; Wheeler, 1909b PDF: 228; Emery, 1911e PDF: 41; Wheeler, 1911a PDF: 21; Mann, 1922 PDF: 4; Santschi, 1929h PDF: 458 (redescription); Brown, 1958g PDF: 229, 329; Kempf & Brown, 1968 PDF: 90; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995 PDF: 187; Lattke et al., 2004 PDF: 348; Lattke et al., 2007 PDF: 259 (in key); Lattke et al., 2008 PDF: 98; Branstetter & Sáenz, 2012 PDF: 255; Feitosa & Prada-Achiardi, 2019 PDF: 672.Senior synonym of Gnamptogenys concentrica: Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 26; Emery, 1896g PDF: 44 (in key); Forel, 1899b PDF: 7; Emery, 1911e PDF: 41; Santschi, 1929h PDF: 458; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995 PDF: 187.Senior synonym of Gnamptogenys simplex foreli: Kempf & Brown, 1968 PDF: 90; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995 PDF: 187.Senior synonym of Gnamptogenys satzgeri: Kempf & Brown, 1968 PDF: 90; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995 PDF: 187.Senior synonym of Gnamptogenys simplex: Kempf & Brown, 1968 PDF: 90; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995 PDF: 187.Senior synonym of Gnamptogenys simplex spurium: Kempf & Brown, 1968 PDF: 90; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995 PDF: 187.Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911e PDF: 41.Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g PDF: 229.
