What is it about?
This work presents in details the larval developmental stages of two species of <i>Camponotus</i> ants from Brazil. Images provided by electron microscopy. Minute measurements for each developing instar, of two fairly distantly related species within the same ant genus, which are quite common in Brazil around houses. Estimations of numbers of instars (i.e. shed skin moults) are given, based on these measurements.
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Photo by Sam O'Leary on Unsplash
Why is it important?
There are still few published studies on insect larvae, and this study is part of a recent effort over a series of studies describing the morphology of ant larvae in details. Male larvae -- since they're are rarer to obtained-- were seldom visited by researchers. This way, this study is of a rare kind and sheds light onto the general appearance and body details of male ant larvae of two common species from South America. We hope it will guide other authors wishing to study these ants and larval development.
Perspectives
Describing ant larvae through awesome pictures has been one of my favourite lines of research. The present investigation was an idea by the first author and good friend Dr Solis, who carefully manipulated the ants into only laying male eggs. This study paved the way on which we have been building our most recent larval investigations. Also, it seems we have set new standards as to how developmental descriptions ought to be done with ants. Future studies and colleagues will tell.
Dr Eduardo G P Fox
IBCCF / UFRJ
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Compared Morphology of the Immatures of Males of Two Urban Ant Species ofCamponotus, Journal of Insect Science, May 2012, Oxford University Press (OUP),
DOI: 10.1673/031.012.5901.
You can read the full text:
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