What is it about?
The fire ant Solenopsis saevissima is the most widespread and common fire ant species across South America. However it is now known to include "cryptic" species, i.e. actually different species that look identical thus have been persistently considered as the same. This paper demonstrates how chemical profiles of visually identical species can vary while focusing on two sympatric fire ant populations living alongside in Southern Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. Methods used were chromatography, mainly GC-MS. Their main venom alkaloids are clearly different compounds, and so are the main cuticular hydrocarbons. Individuals from all castes were analysed, showing intraspecific variation.
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Why is it important?
This is the first demonstration of truly cryptic species within this clade. Also we provide straightforward rationale and strategies to sort between identical ant species. The same methods were employed later on another such investigation with another difficult group of ants. Cryptic species is a serious problem in ant taxonomy. But our described methods are fairly simple.
Perspectives
This is one of my most important papers on fire ants. Prepared during my PhD as the outcome of a number of long car trips to the field. Fire ants can be quite tricky to correctly ID. However through applying our simple method, anyone should be able to acquire central information to reach a solid species diagnosis. We have herein designed the method. Now we have been working on a full blueprint for all fire ant species. Hopefully tomorrow all of them will be clearly described, and works on the different fire ant populations will flourish!
Dr Eduardo G P Fox
IBCCF / UFRJ
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Intraspecific and Intracolonial Variation in the Profile of Venom Alkaloids and Cuticular Hydrocarbons of the Fire AntSolenopsis saevissimaSmith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Psyche A Journal of Entomology, January 2012, Hindawi Publishing Corporation,
DOI: 10.1155/2012/398061.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Intraspecific and Intracolonial Variation in the Profile of Venom Alkaloids and Cuticular Hydrocarbons of the Fire AntSolenopsis saevissimaSmith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Full text of manuscript with figures, freely available.
Weaving through a cryptic species: Comparing the Neotropical ants Camponotus senex and Camponotus textor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Another paper on cryptic ant species, where the same methods and general approach was employed.
Kudo: Telling apart identical ant species that behave totally different!
A Kudo entry on a related investigation employing the same general approach in analysing almost-identical species of ants from a distant group.
Contributors
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