Comparative Immature Morphology of Brazilian Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Solenopsis)
Although common in Brazil, the biology of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) is still poorly studied. Larval descriptions are useful to genus-level ant systematics and sometimes to species-level taxonomy. This study presents a detailed description of juveniles of S. saevissima from Brazil, w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/183284 |
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| author | Eduardo Gonçalves Paterson Fox Daniel Russ Solis Mônica Lanzoni Rossi Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie Rodrigo Fernando de Souza Odair Correa Bueno |
| author_facet | Eduardo Gonçalves Paterson Fox Daniel Russ Solis Mônica Lanzoni Rossi Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie Rodrigo Fernando de Souza Odair Correa Bueno |
| author_sort | Eduardo Gonçalves Paterson Fox |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although common in Brazil, the biology of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) is still poorly studied. Larval descriptions are useful to genus-level ant systematics and sometimes to species-level taxonomy. This study presents a detailed description of juveniles of S. saevissima from Brazil, which were compared with Brazilian specimens of Solenopsis invicta Buren, Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius), and Solenopsis altipunctata Pitts. Different larval instars were separated by diagnostic morphological traits which were confirmed by observing moults. Reproductive larvae could be easily sorted by their distinctive body dimensions and shape. Contrary to previous reports on this species, the larvae of S. saevissima proved to be generally identical to those of S. invicta, while a few specimens resembled those of other close species, such as Solenopsis megergates Trager. Mature larvae thus presented considerable intraspecific variation in some characters recently proposed to aid fire ant species separation (morphology of head hairs). |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1cedd93ae7954e6c9af22107da4c0dd5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0033-2615 1687-7438 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| spelling | doaj-art-1cedd93ae7954e6c9af22107da4c0dd52025-08-20T03:54:51ZengWileyPsyche: A Journal of Entomology0033-26151687-74382012-01-01201210.1155/2012/183284183284Comparative Immature Morphology of Brazilian Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Solenopsis)Eduardo Gonçalves Paterson Fox0Daniel Russ Solis1Mônica Lanzoni Rossi2Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie3Rodrigo Fernando de Souza4Odair Correa Bueno5Laboratório de Entomologia Médica, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21.945-970 Ilha do Fundão, RN, BrazilCentro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, Instituto de Biociências, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilLaboratório de Histopatologia e Biologia Estrutural de Plantas, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, University of São Paulo (USP), 13400-970 Piracicaba, SP, BrazilLaboratório de Mirmecologia, Centro de Pesquisa do Cacau, 45650-000 Itabuna, BA, BrazilCentro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, Instituto de Biociências, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilCentro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, Instituto de Biociências, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilAlthough common in Brazil, the biology of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) is still poorly studied. Larval descriptions are useful to genus-level ant systematics and sometimes to species-level taxonomy. This study presents a detailed description of juveniles of S. saevissima from Brazil, which were compared with Brazilian specimens of Solenopsis invicta Buren, Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius), and Solenopsis altipunctata Pitts. Different larval instars were separated by diagnostic morphological traits which were confirmed by observing moults. Reproductive larvae could be easily sorted by their distinctive body dimensions and shape. Contrary to previous reports on this species, the larvae of S. saevissima proved to be generally identical to those of S. invicta, while a few specimens resembled those of other close species, such as Solenopsis megergates Trager. Mature larvae thus presented considerable intraspecific variation in some characters recently proposed to aid fire ant species separation (morphology of head hairs).http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/183284 |
| spellingShingle | Eduardo Gonçalves Paterson Fox Daniel Russ Solis Mônica Lanzoni Rossi Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie Rodrigo Fernando de Souza Odair Correa Bueno Comparative Immature Morphology of Brazilian Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Solenopsis) Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| title | Comparative Immature Morphology of Brazilian Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Solenopsis) |
| title_full | Comparative Immature Morphology of Brazilian Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Solenopsis) |
| title_fullStr | Comparative Immature Morphology of Brazilian Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Solenopsis) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative Immature Morphology of Brazilian Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Solenopsis) |
| title_short | Comparative Immature Morphology of Brazilian Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Solenopsis) |
| title_sort | comparative immature morphology of brazilian fire ants hymenoptera formicidae solenopsis |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/183284 |
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