Studies on an Enigmatic Blepharidatta Wheeler Population (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Brazilian Caatinga

Sociobiology

Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie²  Yves Patric Quinet¹  Janaina Cruz Pereira³  Lorenzo Roberto Sgobaro Zanette³ 

[1] Universidade Estadual do Ceará;Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz / CEPLAC/CEPECl;Universidade Federal do Ceará

关键词: northeastern Brazil;    semi-arid environment;    ants;    Blepharidattini;    ergatoid queen;   

DOI  :  

来源: Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Brazil

【 摘 要 】

Blepharidattais a rare Neotropical ant genus formed by predatory species whose small colonies nest in soil or leaf-litter. A population ofBlepharidattathat presents affinities with the Cerrado species,Blepharidatta conopsKempf, was found in the Caatinga biome, at the “Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Serra das Almas” (RPPNSA), in Crateús (State of Ceará, northeastern Brazil). The aim of our study was to obtain information on nest architecture, size and composition of colonies, foraging behavior, and female castes morphology in this newly found population, and to compare it with otherBlepharidattaspecies, particularlyB. conops.The results show thatBlepharidattasp. andB. conopsshare key features of their biology like basic nest architecture, diet and foraging behavior, monogyny, and ergatoid queens with a phragmotic head. However, marked differences were also found in queen head and mesosoma morphology, nest architecture, colony size, and queen location in the nest. Two mutually exclusive hypotheses are discussed. TheBlepharidattapopulation found in the RPPNSA would represent a new species, possibly endemic to the Caatinga biome or this population would represent one extreme of the phenotypic variations observed in populations formingB. conopsspecies.

【 授权许可】

Unknown