Do morphological traits of ground-dwelling ants respond to land use changes in a neotropical landscape?

•The RLQ-analysis revealed a gradient of ant species specialization based on tree cover and soil properties.•Rubber plantations supported larger ants that can use epigaeic/hypogaeic strata.•Grazing-based system mainly host smaller ants with variable coloration and larger eyes.•Ants with more pigmented cuticle are commonly found in annual crops.•Ant morphometric traits are useful for analyzing responses to land use management and landscape transformation.