Energetic cost of digging behavior in workers of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens (Fabricius)

Energetic cost of digging behavior in workers of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens (Fabricius). During nest excavation, leaf-cutting ant workers undergo reduction in their body reserve, particularly carbohydrates. In order to estimate the energetic cost of digging, groups of 30 workers of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens were sealed in a hermetic chamber for 24, 48 and 72 hours, with and without soil for digging, and had the CO2 concentration measured using respirometric chambers as well as volume of soil excavated (g). As expected, the worker groups that carried out soil excavation expelled more carbon dioxide than the groups that did not excavate. Therefore, a worker with body mass of 9.65 ± 1.50 mg dug in average 0.85 ± 0.27 g of soil for 24 hours, consuming ca. 0.58 ± 0.23 J. In this study, we calculate that the energetic cost of excavation per worker per day in the experimental set-up was ca. 0.58 J.

Cyatta abscondita: Taxonomy, Evolution, and Natural History of a New Fungus-Farming Ant Genus from Brazil

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

The Mitochondrial Genome of the Leaf-Cutter Ant Atta laevigata: A Mitogenome with a Large Number of Intergenic Spacers

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

Development and characterization of twenty-two polymorphic microsatellite markers for the leafcutter ant, Acromyrmex lundii, utilizing Illumina sequencing

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

Starmerella aceti f.a., sp nova, an ascomycetous yeast species isolated from fungus garden of the leafcutter ant Acromyrmex balzani

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Polydomy in the ant Ectatomma opaciventre

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

On the morphology of the digestive system of two Moomorium ant species

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase

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

Yeasts found on an ephemeral reproductive caste of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Development of twenty-one polymorphic microsatellite markers for the fungus-growing ant, Mycocepurus goeldii (Formicidae: Attini), using Illumina paired-end genomic sequencing

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

A Social Parasite Evolved Reproductive Isolation from Its Fungus-Growing Ant Host in Sympatry

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A Brazilian population of the asexual fungus-growing ant Mycocepurus smithii (Formicidae, Myrmicinae, Attini) cultivates fungal symbionts with gongylidia-like structures

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Comunidade de formigas (Hymenoptera: formicidae) em cultivo de videiras no município de São Roque - São Paulo

The cultivation of grapes is one of the most traditional cultures and the world's oldest one. In Brazil, cultivars occupy an area of approximately 90 thousand hectares, covering the south, southeast and northeast, in latitudes ranging from 30 º 56 '15''S up to 5 º 11' 15''S. The culture of the vine may be the target of the attack of some diseases and pests, and currently the main concern for growers is the subterranean mealybug, Eurhizococcus brasiliensis (Hemiptera: Margarodidae), known as pearl-ground. This arthropod infests the roots causing a progressive languish of the vine, even causes its death. In southern Brazil it is known that some species of ants can disperse pearl-ground for short distances, however, there is no information about that in the State of Sao Paulo. Thus, it is extremely important to perform studies with this focus on wine regions in this State. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the species of underground ant community in different grape varieties found in vineyards in the town of São Roque – SP, Brazil. With that purpose, samples were collected within one year. We used underground pitfalls spread across twelve points. In each of the points were placed two traps, one containing honey and the other containing sardine as attractive. The results revealed the presence of three morphospecies of ants in Niágara Rosada and four in other grape varieties, there was no significant difference in the species richness among the cultivars (Kruskal-Wallis - 0.33, p = 0.5). In both trials, the most frequent species was Brachymyrmex sp.4, suggesting that there is no dominance of distinct species of Niágara Rosada and the other grape varieties. There was no dissimilarity in species richness of the ones visiting honey or sardines (Kruskal-Wallis - 0.08, p = 0.7) and the analysis of variance indicated a great similarity in species richness between the rainy and dry seasons (Kruskal-Wallis - 0.09, p = 0.7)

The ant fauna of hospitals: advancements in public health and research priorities in Brazil

Ants inhabit several types of natural and urban habitats, where they successfully nest. In urban environments, the hospitals should be considered priority for studies, as ants pose risks to human health due to their pathogen carrying potential. We aimed at surveying the literature about studies on ants in hospital settings in Brazil in the past 20 years. We found 40 papers in 22 journals, the first one published in 1993. Among them, 26 papers assessed pathogenic microorganisms on ants. We recorded 59 ant species, being Tapinoma melanocephalum the most common. The Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo states had the largest number of published papers. Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul showed the highest number of species. Exotic ant species were recorded in all states, except Goias. Considering the potential to carry microorganisms and the importance of thorough studies on the ecology of ant species, our results can support and guide further research in Brazil. (C) 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Entomologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.