Polymorphism of brain neuropils in the carpenter ant, Camponotus japonicus

Sexual Dimorphism in the Antennal Lobe of the Ant Camponotus japonicus

“…Volumetric analyses of major brain neuropils in Camponotus japonicus demonstrated that the volume ratio of each neuropil in society members (Figs. 3, 4) (Kubota et al, 2006) was fundamentally similar to those in Camponotus ocreatus (Ehmer and Gronenberg, 2004). In this study, we obtained further insight into the difference between antennal lobe structures in society members.…”

“…The absolute volume of the antennal lobe was smallest in males and largest in unmated queens (Figs. 3,4) (Ehmer and Gronenberg, 2004;Kubota et al, 2006). Although the absolute volume of the antennal lobe in unmated queens was about 1.6 times larger than that in workers (Fig.…”

“…There have been recent attempts to correlate morphological characteristics of the nervous system with the behavior of ants (Gronenberg and Hölldobler, 1999;Ehmer and Gronenberg, 2004). Morphometric analyses of the brains of Camponotus ants have revealed that relative volumes of major neuropils such as the mushroom body, central complex, optic lobe, and antennal lobe vary in society members, including workers, unmated queens and males (Ehmer and Gronenberg, 2004;Kubota et al, 2006). In the leaf-cutting ants Atta vollenweider and Atta sexdens, a macroglomerulus assumed to process potentially trail pheromone has been identified in the antennal lobe of large workers but not in that of small workers (Kleineidam et al, 2005).…”