Morphological Studies on the Mature Worker Larvae of Paratrechina fulva (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Author(s)

Paterson Fox, Eduardo Goncalves ^[1] ; Solis, Daniel Russ ^[1] ; Rossi, Monica Lanzoni ^[2] ; Bueno, Odair Correa ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Sao Paulo State Univ, UNESP, Inst Biociencias, Ctr Estudos Insetos Sociais, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Energia Nucl Agr, Lab Histopatol & Biol Estrutural Plantas, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Sociobiology; v. 55, n. 3, p. 795-803, 2010.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The ant Paratrechina fulva is native to Brazil, but has spread to other countries where it has become a serious pest. Their larvae are known from a preliminary description made without the aid of scanning electron microscopy. The present investigation aimed at describing the mature worker larvae of this species in deeper detail, while identifying useful morphological characters for taxonomy and cladistics. General morphological traits typical of Paratrechina larvae described so far were also confirmed with this species, particularly regarding body shape, types of hairs, and distribution pattern of head sensilla, but P fulva presented unusually shaped mandibles. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 06/02115-6 - Survey of Solenopsis saevissima (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) venom biochemical components
• Grantee: Eduardo Gonçalves Paterson Fox
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate