Mandibular shape variation among size classes in the worker ants of Pheidologeton diversus
Paper Details
Mandibular shape variation among size classes in the worker ants of Pheidologeton diversus
Abstract
The geometric morphometric approach of landmark analysis was utilized in this study to compare the shapes of the mandibles of three size classes of the ant Pheidologeton diversus. To do this, the X and Y coordinates of a total of fifty points were digitized and subjected to relative warp analysis. Results showed that the mandibular shapes of the smaller-sized ants differed significantly from those of the medium- and larger-sized classes. The observed differences can be related to the presumed roles that the ants play in their colonies.
Borgo CS, Leal B, Cabrera A, and Hernandez JV. 2013. Mandibular and postpharyngeal gland secretions of Acromyrmex landolti (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as chemical cues for mate recognition. Revista de Biologica Tropical 61(3)
Geraghty MJ, Dunn RR, Sanders NJ. 2007. Body Size, Colony Size, and Range Size in Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Are Patterns Along Elevational and Latitudinal Gradients Consistent With Bergmann’s Rule?. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-1610, USA.
Gronenberg W. 1995. The fast mandible strike in the trap-jaw ant Odontomachus. J Comp Physiol A 176, 399-408.
Hernandez JV, Cabrera A, Klauss J. 1999. Mandibular Gland Secretion in Different Castes of Leaf-Cutter ant Atta laevigata. Universidad Simon Bolivar, Apartado 89000 Caracas 1080A, Venezuela.
Holldobler B, Edward WO. 1990.The Ants. Harvard University Press, 1990. p. 732
Jerdon TC. 1851. A Catalogue of the Species of Ants Found in Southern India. Esq., Assistant Surgeon, Madras Medical Establishment.
Schofield RMS, Nesson MH, Richardson K.2002. Tooth Hardness Increases With Zinc-Content in Mandibles of Young Adult Leaf-Cutter Ants. Naturwissenschaften 89:579-583.
Schmidt CA. 2004. Morphological and Function Diversity of Ant Mandibles, available at:
Torres MAJ, Ong GMP, Joshi RC, Barrion AT, Sebastian LS and Demayo CG. 2013. Forewing venation pattern and genital plate structure in a non-outbreak population of the Rice Black Bug (Scotinophara coarctata Stahl) from Lala, Lanao del Norte, Philippines.
Wheeler WM. Bailey IW. 1920. The feeding Habits of Pseudomyrmine and Other Ants. 22: 235-279.
Mark Anthony J. Torres, Eugene Vernon V. Tañedo Jr., 2016. Mandibular shape variation among size classes in the worker ants of Pheidologeton diversus. J. Biodiv. Environ. Sci., 8(3), 137-141.
Copyright © 2016 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.