What is it about?
The Large Yellow Carpenter Ant is one of the commonest ants in households around Brazil. Surprisingly, there are quite few published studies describing their biology and morphology. This is a first -- highly detailed -- description of all developmental stages of these ants from Brazil. It includes only worker larvae, which are easier to obtain and the most frequently found inside active nests. The larvae of these ants are remarkably hairy, with an unprecedented diversity of body hair types. Over ten different hair morphologies are described with close-up images, providing a supporting map for other authors working with ant larvae. They present four different stages, and details of intricate mouthparts are compared and discussed relative to other species. Extensive imagery is produced.
Featured Image
Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Detailed knowledge about insect larvae is both important, and generally lacking. In order to truly understand insect biology, a solid body of information concerning development is needed, however this is *entirely lacking* for almost any insect species you can think of. This study is part of a joint collaboration effort attempting to remedy this deficiency in the literature concerning ants. We have been focusing on the commonest pest species as to provide a scaffold on which further biological studies can be built on studying these species.
Perspectives
This is one of the most detailed studies ever published concerning ant larvae. We have received extensive feedback from peers who have found in this specific publication a lot of support in studying the development of other ants (see related materials for an emblematic example). Therefore we plan on expanding on this framework by including related species and deeper information which may further benefit colleagues and the public.
Dr Eduardo G P Fox
IBCCF / UFRJ
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Description of the Immatures of Workers of the AntCamponotus vittatus(Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Florida Entomologist, June 2010, Florida Entomological Society,
DOI: 10.1653/024.093.0218.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Larval hairs mediate clumping in flood rafts
This interesting investigation was largely based on the present description, where larval hairs are demonstrated to play a central role in raft-formation that enable ants to survive and expand territories following heavy rains and land flooding.
Larvae from Males of two common species of Carpenter Ants from Brazil
In this further study, the male larvae of the Large Yellow Carpenter Ants are described, in comparison with another common related species from Brazil.
Watch another species of Carpenter Ants dealing with their larvae
This is an interesting resource for readers interested in Carpenter ants and their larvae (distantly related species, though).
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
