The Ant Larvae of the Subfamily Myrmicinae

Wheeler, George C.; Wheeler, Jeanette

doi:10.1093/aesa/53.1.98

Cited by 20 publications

(33 citation statements)

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“…[Additive] States 1 and 2 (which is clearly derived from state 1) of this character provide an unambiguous synapomorphy for the Attini. Wheeler & Wheeler (1976) separated attine larval mandible form into two morphological groups, the 'dolichoderoid' (characterizing the attine genera Apterostigma and Myrmicoctypta as well as unrelated species from diverse subfamilies; revised from the 'myrmicocryptiform' category of Wheeler & Wheeler, 1960) and the 'attoid' type (present only in the attine genera Acromyrmex, Attu, Cyphomyrmex, Mycetosoritis, Sericomyrmex and Trachymyrmex; revised from the 'attiform' category of Wheeler &Wheeler, 1960). Later they reclassified the mandible forms of Apterostigma, Myrmicoc typta, Trachymyrmex and Sericomyrmex as 'amblyoponoid,' another category containing unrelated ant species from a number of subfamilies, and including the putative attine sister species Proatta butelli and Blepharidatta brasiliensis (Wheeler & Wheeler, 1986.…”

Section: Mandible Length: (0) Mandibles Overlapping When Closed;mentioning

confidence: 99%

A phylogenetic analysis of the fungus‐growing ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini) based on morphological characters of the larvae

Schultz

Meier

1995

Systematic Entomology

146

170

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A phylogenetic hypothesis of the fungus‐growing ants (subfamily Myrmicinae, tribe Attini) is proposed, based on a cladistic analysis utilizing forty‐four morphological characters (109 states) of the prepupal worker larva. The fifty‐one attine species analysed include representatives of eleven of the twelve currently recognized attine genera, excluding only the monotypic workerless parasite Pseudoatta; the non‐attines include two outgroups (species of the basal myrmicine genera Myrmica and Pogonomyrmex), two myrmicine species presumed to be distantly related to the attines, and twelve species representing taxa that have been proposed by prior workers as possible sister groups of the Attini. There is strong character support for the monophyly of the Attini and for a sister‐group relationship of the Attini and the Neotropical Blepharidatta brasiliensis. The Attini are divided into two distinct lineages, an ‘apterostigmoid’ clade (containing Apterostigma and Mycocepurus) and an ‘attoid’ clade (containing all other attine genera except Myrmicocrypta). The attine genus Myrmicocrypta appears to be paraphyletic with respect to these two groups; the species M.buenzlii in particular retains many attine plesiomorphies. These results indicate that the fungus‐growing behaviour had a single evolutionary origin in the ants. They also indicate that mycelium cultivation is plesiomorphic and that yeast cultivation is derived within the Attini, overturning the long‐standing assumption that the yeast‐growing Cyphomyrmex species are the most primitive Attini. Behavioural and ecological investigations into the origin and evolution of the fungus‐growing behaviour might more profitably focus on species in the attine genus Myrmicocrypta, as well as those in the closely related non‐attine genera Blepharidatta and Wasmannia.

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Section: Mandible Length: (0) Mandibles Overlapping When Closed;mentioning

confidence: 99%

A phylogenetic analysis of the fungus‐growing ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini) based on morphological characters of the larvae

Schultz

Meier

1995

Systematic Entomology

146

170

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“…Larvae. G. C. Wheeler and J. Wheeler[53] studied and described the morphological and developmental characteristics of the egg and larval stages of rudis-group ants. There are four larval instars.…”

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The Biology and Natural History ofAphaenogaster rudis

Lubertazzi

2012

Psyche: A Journal of Entomology

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Workers from the genusAphaenogasterare among the most abundant ants in the hardwood forests of eastern North America. The biology of these so-calledrudis-group ant species, including details about their sociometry, productivity, natural history, and behavior, are synthesized here using published and newly collected data. The latter was collected, in part, using an artificial field nest, and its construction and use are explained. Ants of therudisgroup occur in high densities in forest habitats (0.5–1.3 nests m2), have moderate sized colonies (population means from 266 to 613 workers per nest), and are keystone seed dispersers. Many aspects of their life history and behavior follow an annual cycle that tracks seasonal changes. These include foraging, reproduction, the production of new workers and nest migrations. This synthesis highlights what is known about these ants and reveals gaps in our knowledge that require further study.

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“…The references on Oxyepoecus published since Kempf 's (1974) revision are: Wheeler & Wheeler (1977) described for the first time the larva of Oxyepoecus based on specimens of the type series of O. punctifrons (Borgmeier), Torres (1984) recorded an undetermined species of Oxyepoecus on grassland and agricultural habitats in Puerto Rico, and Bolton (1994) figured an Oxyepoecus species in his key to the ant genera of the world. Kempf (1974) already commented that all known individuals of Oxyepoecus were obtained either by chance discoveries or specialized collecting techniques applied sporadically in very few and scattered localities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%