A method is described for discovering pheromones of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), using affinity chromatography with the pheromone-binding proteins of the ant. Proteins in the pheromoneand odorant-binding protein family, which are abundant in moths and other insect species, are not apparent in fire ant antennae. Two other types of hydrophobic lig...

Differences among the metapleural glands of four female castes of Atta bisphaerica Forel, 1908, A. capiguara Gonçalves, 1944 and A. sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908 were examined by scanning electron microscope. There were no differences in gland size between the same castes of these species, although the opening gland in A. sexdens rubropilosa had been twice as large as A. bisphaerica. The rela...

We revise the genus Mecistostethus Marseul, sinking the monotypic genus Tarsilister Bruch as a junior synonym. Mecistostethus contains six valid species: Mecistostethus pilifer Marseul, Mecistostethus loretoensis (Bruch), comb. n., Mecistostethus seagorumsp. n., Mecistostethus carltonisp. n., Mecistostethus marseulisp. n., and Mecistostethus flechtmannisp. n. The few existing records show the g...

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are an important component of insect biodiversity, and their study may help forensic entomologists to solve criminal cases. We review published literature and ecological principles that may guide forensic entomologists in the usage of ants as evidence with forensic value. Because ants are top predators in litter environments, their activities can affect decomposit...

Of the subfamilies and genera known from Vietnam, the following taxa are treated in this second part of the series entitled "Generic Synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam": Cerapachyinae: Cerapachys, Simopone; Aenictinae: Aenictus; Dorylinae: Dorylus; Leptanillinae: Leptanilla, Protanilla; Amblyoponinae: Myopopone, Mystrium, Opamyrma, Prionopelta, Stigmatomma; Ponerinae: Anochetus, Brachyponera...

The digestive system of adults and mature larvae of two ant species of Monomorium Mayr (Hymoneptera: Formicidae) were described with the aid of light and scanning electron microscopy, as there is a lack of studies in this area. These two ant species are recurrently found in urban habitats and are known as 'tramp species,' as they cause problems in households, businesses, and hospitals. The most...

Cultivation of fungi for food by fungus-growing ants (Attini: Formicidae) originated about 50 million years ago. The subsequent evolutionary history of this agricultural symbiosis was inferred from phylogenetic and population-genetic patterns of 553 cultivars isolated from gardens of "primitive" fungus-growing ants. These patterns indicate that fungus-growing ants succeeded at domesticating mul...