A new workerless inquiline in the Lower Attini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a discussion of social parasitism in fungus-growing ants


Autoria(s): Rabeling, Christian; Bacci Junior, Mauricio
Contribuinte(s)

Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)

Data(s)

30/09/2013

20/05/2014

30/09/2013

20/05/2014

01/07/2010

Resumo

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Processo FAPESP: 06/00185-7

Ant inquilines are obligate social parasites, usually lacking a sterile worker caste, which are dependent on their hosts for survival and reproduction. Social parasites are rare among the fungus-gardening ants (Myrmicinae: tribe Attini) and only four species are known until now, all being inquilines from the Higher Attini. We describe Mycocepurus castrator sp.n., the first inquiline social parasite to be discovered in the Lower Attini. Our study of the parasite's behaviour and life history supports the conclusion drawn from external morphology: Mycocepurus castrator is an evolutionarily derived inquiline parasite of Mycocepurus goeldii. Inquilines are of great interest to evolutionary biology because it is debated if they originated via sympatric or allopatric speciation. We discuss the life history evolution, behaviour and morphology of socially parasitic, fungus-growing ants.

Formato

379-392

Identificador

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.2010.00533.x

Systematic Entomology. Malden: Wiley-blackwell, v. 35, n. 3, p. 379-392, 2010.

0307-6970

http://hdl.handle.net/11449/20188

10.1111/j.1365-3113.2010.00533.x

WOS:000278527200002

Idioma(s)

eng

Publicador

Wiley-Blackwell

Relação

Systematic Entomology

Direitos

closedAccess

Tipo

info:eu-repo/semantics/article