The cephalic anatomy of workers of the ant species Wasmannia affinis (Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta) and its evolutionary implications

Richter, Adrian; Rosumek, Félix Baumgarten; Economo, Evan P.; Garcia, Francisco Hita; Beutel, Rolf G.

doi:10.1016/j.asd.2019.02.002

Cited by 58 publications

(104 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…To conclude, besides the above‐mentioned uncertainties that are common in regular practice in insect taxonomic research, morphometry has proven reproducible in our test setting. The best morphology, we believe, may be done through multimodal means, such as combining multiple microscopic and morphometric methods (e.g., Richter et al., 2019; Sarnat et al., 2019; Hita‐Garcia et al., 2019; Boudinot, 2019; Keklikoglou et al., 2019; Braga et al., 2019). Given the same size range of measured traits, the same range of observers' skill, and the same range of equipment, we expect the same reproducibility for other groups of arthropods, provided these have a similar exoskeleton stability and that specimens belong to a comparable developmental stage.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insect morphometry is reproducible under average investigation standards

Csősz

Seifert

Mikó

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insect morphometry is reproducible under average investigation standards

Csősz

Seifert

Mikó

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Width of head including eyes Determines the size of gaps through which an individual can pass (Schofield et al 2016) and the volume of muscles powering the mandibles during foraging (Richter et al 2019).…”

Section: Head Widthmentioning

confidence: 99%

The cryptic impacts of invasion: functional homogenization of tropical ant communities by invasive fire ants

Wong

Guénard²,

Lewis

2020

Oikos

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The diversity and distribution of traits in an ecological community shapes its responses to change and the ecosystem processes it modulates. This ‘functional diversity’, however, is not necessarily a direct outcome of taxonomic diversity. Invasions by exotic insects occur in ecosystems worldwide, but there is limited understanding of how they impact functional diversity. We present the first comprehensive trait‐based investigation of the impacts of an ant invasion, and the first incorporating intraspecific polymorphisms in species‐level functional diversity. The fire ant Solenopsis invicta is an invasive species with a global distribution. Focusing on invaded and uninvaded plots in tropical grasslands of Hong Kong, we investigated how the presence of S. invicta affects the diversity and distribution of ant species and traits within and across communities, the functional identities of communities, and functionally unique species. Using trait probability density functions, we built trait spaces for 29 different species, and scaled up these components to calculate functional diversity at community and landscape levels. We found that invasion had limited effects on species and functional richness but pronounced effects on functional composition. Specifically, invaded communities had fewer functionally‐unique individuals, and were characterized by species with narrower heads and bodies and shorter mandibles. Moreover, invaded communities showed substantially higher levels of functional redundancy (+56%) due to a clustering of trait values. Consequently, across the landscape, invaded communities displayed 23% less functional turnover than uninvaded communities despite showing comparable levels of taxonomic turnover – a result confirming theoretical predictions of the effects of high local functional redundancy. In sum, the presence of S. invicta alters the functional properties of multiple local communities selectively, resulting in functional homogenization across the landscape. The disparities between taxonomic and functional impacts of invasion highlight the need to consider how trait diversity across ecological scales shapes biodiversity and its responses to change.

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“…We present a detailed study of all the anatomical structures and organs in the coffee berry borer using micro-CT, with the exception of the respiratory system, which is presented separately 19 . This is in contrast to other insect-related micro-CT papers that focus on specific aspects such as cephalic anatomy 20 , metamorphosis 21,22 , tracheal systems 23–28 , mycetangia 29–31 , mandibular muscles 32 , the alimentary canal 33 , respiratory volume 34 , genitalia 35 and the brain 36 . Together with the study on the respiratory system 19 , this paper represents the first holistic view of the entire anatomy of the coffee berry borer, and to the best of our knowledge, is the smallest insect to have been subjected to micro-CT.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Anatomical study of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) using micro-computed tomography

Alba-Alejandre

Alba‐Tercedor

Vega

2019

Sci Rep

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traditionally, the study of anatomy in insects has been based on dissection techniques. Microcomputed tomography (micro-ct) is an X-ray based technique that allows visualization of the internal anatomy of insects in situ and does not require dissections. We report on the use of micro-ct scans to study, in detail, the internal structures and organs of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei), the most damaging insect pest of coffee worldwide. Detailed images and videos allowed us to make the first description of the aedeagus and the first report of differences between the sexes based on internal anatomy (flight musculature, midgut shape, hindgut convolutions, brain shape and size) and external morphology (lateral outline of the pronotum and number of abdominal tergites). This study is the first complete micro-ct reconstruction of the anatomy of an insect and is also the smallest insect to have been evaluated in this way. High quality rendered images, and additional supplementary videos and 3D models are suitable for use with mobile devices and are useful tools for future research and as teaching aids. Ever since the introduction of coffee from Africa to various continents, it has become an important commodity not only to producing countries, but also to billions of consumers that take delight on its flavour, aroma, and stimulatory effects 1. Amongst the many agronomic problems faced by coffee producers, insect pests and plant pathogens are of paramount importance 2. Climate change is also posing an enormous challenge to the continuity of commercial coffee production and to the survival of wild coffee species 3,4. The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Cryphalini), is the most economically important insect pest of coffee due to its cryptic life cycle inside the coffee berry, which makes it quite hard to manage 5. The insect is currently present in most coffee producing countries 5 and worldwide losses are likely over US$500 million, with yearly losses in Brazil alone estimated at US$215-358 million 6. The insect has also been reported to have infested vast areas, e.g., over 715,000 ha in Colombia by 1998 7 and more than 800,000 ha by 2002 8. Even though > 1,800 papers have been published on the coffee berry borer 9 , knowledge about its internal anatomy is restricted to a handful of papers that use dissection techniques 10-14. Insect dissection techniques were first used more than 400 years ago by Aldrovandi 15 and Malpighi 16. Even though dissections have most definitely been useful, resulting in thousands of papers on the internal anatomy of insects, they result in an inevitable distortion of the internal structures and organs. A relatively new technique based on X-rays, known as micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), allows visualization of the insect's internal anatomy in situ, without the need for dissection; results have been validated by comparing them with classical destructive methodologies 17,18. We present a detailed study of all the anatomical st...

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The cephalic anatomy of workers of the ant species Wasmannia affinis (Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta) and its evolutionary implications

Cited by 58 publications

References 71 publications

Insect morphometry is reproducible under average investigation standards

Insect morphometry is reproducible under average investigation standards

The cryptic impacts of invasion: functional homogenization of tropical ant communities by invasive fire ants

Anatomical study of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) using micro-computed tomography

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