Toward understanding the predatory ant genus Myopias (Formicidae: Ponerinae), including a key to global species, male-based generic diagnosis, and new species description

Probst, Rodolfo S.; Guénard, Benoit; Boudinot, Brendon E.

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v62i2.192-212

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…We counted 29 head capsules in this midden of prey remains. Highly specialised predation on staphylinids has been reported in Myopias darioi Probst & Boudinot and a few other ponerine ants (Probst et al 2015, and references therein). We need additional field observations on prey preferences in E. sikorae before we can conclude about specialised predation.…”

Section: Specialised Predation On Staphylinid Beetlesmentioning

confidence: 93%

Gamergates (Mated Egg-Laying Workers) and Queens both Reproduce inEuponera sikoraeAnts from Madagascar

Peeters

Fisher

2016

African Entomology

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Most ponerine ants have flying queens that monopolise sexual reproduction, but in a minority of species, workers can also mate and lay fertilised eggs. Such 'gamergates' reproduce in addition to queens in some species but have replaced queens entirely in other species. The occurrence of a functional spermatheca in workers often appears associated with a slight difference in body size relative to winged queens, as is the case in Euponera sikorae (Forel) studied here. Eight colonies (19.9 ± 8.7 workers and 0-2 dealate queens) were collected in humid forests of Madagascar. A mated queen reproduced in most colonies, but ovarian dissections indicated that 1-3 workers were also inseminated, and one of these laid eggs if the original founding queen was missing or no longer fecund. Exoskeleton remains (including 29 heads) of a staphylinid beetle were found in one nest of E. sikorae, pointing to specialised predation. We review the occurrence of non-flying reproductives (gamergates and ergatoid queens) in Odontomachus genus-group.

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Section: Specialised Predation On Staphylinid Beetlesmentioning

confidence: 93%

Gamergates (Mated Egg-Laying Workers) and Queens both Reproduce inEuponera sikoraeAnts from Madagascar

Peeters

Fisher

2016

African Entomology

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“…Despite that several authors also examine reproductive castes (e.g. Boudinot 2014; Yoshimura and Fisher 2014; Probst et al 2015), this is often not possible due to the sheer absence of reproductives in collections and unknown associations between castes. Consequently, ant taxonomy predominantly focuses on phenotypical differences between workers of different species (Ward 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Next-generation morphological character discovery and evaluation: an X-ray micro-CT enhanced revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) in the Afrotropics

Garcia¹,

Fischer²,

Liu³

et al. 2017

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New technologies for imaging and analysis of morphological characters offer opportunities to enhance revisionary taxonomy and better integrate it with the rest of biology. In this study, we revise the Afrotropical fauna of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler, and use high-resolution X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) to analyse a number of morphological characters of taxonomic and biological interest. We recognise and describe three new species: Z. obamai sp. n., Z. sarowiwai sp. n., and Z. wilsoni sp. n. The species delimitations are based on the morphological examination of all physical specimens in combination with 3D scans and volume reconstructions. Based on this approach, we present a new taxonomic discrimination system for the regional fauna that consists of a combination of easily observable morphological characters visible at magnifications of around 80–100 ×, less observable characters that require higher magnifications, as well as characters made visible through virtual dissections that would otherwise require destructive treatment. Zasphinctus are rarely collected ants and the material available to us is comparatively scarce. Consequently, we explore the use of micro-CT as a non-invasive tool for the virtual examination, manipulation, and dissection of such rare material. Furthermore, we delineate the treated species by providing a diagnostic character matrix illustrated by numerous images and supplement that with additional evidence in the form of stacked montage images, 3D PDFs and 3D rotation videos of scans of major body parts and full body (in total we provide 16 stacked montage photographs, 116 images of 3D reconstructions, 15 3D rotation videos, and 13 3D PDFs). In addition to the comparative morphology analyses used for species delimitations, we also apply micro-CT data to examine certain traits, such as mouthparts, cuticle thickness, and thoracic and abdominal muscles in order to assess their taxonomic usefulness or gain insights into the natural history of the genus. The complete datasets comprising the raw micro-CT data, 3D PDFs, 3D rotation videos, still images of 3D models, and coloured montage photos have been made available online as cybertypes (Dryad, http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4s3v1).

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“…and prey-capture strategies (Brown and Wilson, 1959;Masuko, 1993Masuko, , 2019Masuko, , 2020Dejean, 1997;Dejean and Dejean, 1998;Rabeling et al, 2012;Schmidt and Shattuck, 2014;Probst et al, 2015;Barden et al, 2020;Keller and Peeters, 2020). Predatory ant mandibles have associated neuronal mechanisms that, in some cases, control remarkably rapid closure.…”

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confidence: 99%

Socioecology and Evolutionary Neurobiology of Predatory Ants

2022

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Diet and social complexity are hypothesized to drive the evolution of the neuroarchitecture of the brain, but the relative impacts of foraging ecology and social organization have not been fully disentangled. Predatory ant species encompass generalists as well as specialists on remarkably narrow ranges of arthropod prey, and vary in strategy from solitary hunting to group raiding. Dietary differences and variation in individual or group predation appear to be correlated with the use of vision for navigation by solitary huntresses, the predominance of chemical signaling to organize group predation, and the structure, biomechanics, and sensorimotor control of the mandibles, and likely gustatory sensilla. Predatory ants provide the opportunity to separate the relative roles of diet and colony size and brain structure, and offer diverse novel systems to understand adaptive brain mosaicism and the neuronal regulation of predatory behavior. Here we discuss the socioecology of predatory ants and its influence on neuroanatomy. THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF PREDATIONNeuroethological and molecular studies of visual, olfactory, auditory, pheromonal, electrical, and mechanoreceptive sensory systems have identified circuitry underpinning predatory behavior in diverse animal clades (Sillar et al., 2016). Star-nosed moles (Catania, 2011), electric fishes (Sukhum et al., 2018), and bats (Genzel et al., 2018 are renowned models. Predator sensory systems generally reflect foraging ecology. Many predatory insects, for example, have large eyes to detect and pursue moving prey through interceptive or ambush hunting strategies. Optic lobe neurons tuned to the motion of small moving objects regulate predatory behavior (

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Toward understanding the predatory ant genus Myopias (Formicidae: Ponerinae), including a key to global species, male-based generic diagnosis, and new species description

Cited by 10 publications

References 16 publications

Gamergates (Mated Egg-Laying Workers) and Queens both Reproduce inEuponera sikoraeAnts from Madagascar

Gamergates (Mated Egg-Laying Workers) and Queens both Reproduce inEuponera sikoraeAnts from Madagascar

Next-generation morphological character discovery and evaluation: an X-ray micro-CT enhanced revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) in the Afrotropics

Socioecology and Evolutionary Neurobiology of Predatory Ants

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