Social Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, bees) possess a unique mode of reproduction. Typically, males produce the total amount of their spermatozoa during the nymphal phase solely from the energy reserves acquired during the larval phase. When the adult male hatches, the testes regress and the spermatozoa are then stored in their seminal vesicles. Mating takes place during a mating flight in which hundreds of males and females from surrounding colonies participate only once in their life. Sperm cells are transmitted during mating and are stored in the queen's spermatheca for the rest of its life (which can last several decades depending on the species). After mating, the male dies and the queen founds a new colony from the sperm received during the nuptial flight. She will never re-mate again and will use parsimoniously the spermatozoa to fertilize her eggs. Several factors are likely to dammage sperm cells, among them nutritional deficiencies during development, pathogens transmitted during mating or the immune defenses of the female that hosts sperm. Yet these sperm cells are extremly valuable because they are not renewable, and the queen will use them throughout her whole life to maintain a sufficient working force ensuring all the functions of the colony. The reproductive success of both males and females is highly dependent on the protection and maintain of spermatozoa.In this work we studied different factors that can affect the quantity, quality and protection of sperm in ants. The focus was made at three different stages: during the production of sperm cells, during their transmission at the time of mating and during their storage in the queen’s spermatheca. First, we showed that the investment in somatic development and in sperm quality take precedence over the production of large quantities of sperm cells. Second, we tested the presence and activity of two major components of the immune system (phenoloxidase system and antibacterial substances) in the sexual organs of virgin and mated ants, and we show that sperm protection uses specific systems which response is variable over time. In addition, we studed the temporal variations of these immune responses in the general insect system before and after mating. Finally, we examine the bacterial abundances and communities present in the reproductive organs at these same periods. We show the presence of some bacterial groups from the sperm storage organs that could play a role in the maintenance of spermatozoa. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Myrmicinae Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835 consiste na maior e mais diversificada subfamília de formigas. Embora monofilética, sua taxonomia e a compreensão de suas relações filogenéticas internas ainda merecem mais estudos, muito por conta da grande heterogeneidade morfológica que engloba. Dentre as seis tribos mirmicíneas reconhecidas recentemente, Attini é a que inclui o maior número de espécies. Este estudo representa a primeira tentativa de se analisar as relações filogenéticas internas de um agrupamento dentro da nova configuração reconhecida para esta tribo com base em caracteres moleculares de nove genes (mitocondriais e nucleares) e da morfologia externa. Com foco na taxonomia e sistemática do gênero Basiceros Schulz, 1906, representante de distribuição exclusivamente Neotropical, foram investigadas suas relações filogenéticas sob os métodos da máxima parcimônia (morfologia), máxima verossimilhança (moléculas) e inferência Bayesiana (moléculas e morfologia + moléculas). Os três métodos corroboram a monofilia de Basiceros e de todos seus representantes. Na tentativa de reconstruir a história evolutiva e as relações filogenéticas para o gênero, foi utilizada uma matriz com 53 caracteres morfológicos e 4309 caracteres moleculares. A análise de máxima parcimônia dos caracteres morfológicos sob enumeração implícita resultou em 1 árvore mais parcimoniosa de 117 passos, com índice de consistência 77 e índice de retenção 72; 4 sinapomorfias suportam a monofilia do gênero. As análises empregando dados moleculares sob máxima verossimilhança e inferência Bayesiana resultaram em topologias muito similares, com forte suporte para o gênero e suas espécies. As análises combinando dados moleculares e morfológicos recuperam com forte suporte o gênero como monofilético, com suas espécies estruturadas em dois clados. Após o exame de materialtipo para todas as espécies de Basiceros, oito espécies são reconhecidas para o gênero, das quais uma é descrita como nova; Basiceros redux (Donisthorpe, 1939) é transferida para o gênero Octostruma. Indivíduos de castas e sexos ainda não registrados (incluindo larvas, machos e intercastas) são aqui descritos pela primeira vez para diferentes espécies de Basiceros. A distribuição da maior parte das espécies é consideravelmente expandida em relação ao que se conhecia anteriormente. No âmbito do presente cenário taxonômico e hipótese de relacionamento filogenético, futuros trabalhos podem aplicar o arcabouço conhecido na tentativa de reconstruir a biogeografia destas formigas crípticas. / Myrmicinae Lepeletier of Saint-Fargeau, 1835 comprises the largest and most diverse subfamily of ants. Although monophyletic, their taxonomy and the understanding of the internal phylogenetic relationships are still poorly resolved, due to its great morphological heterogeneity. Among the six recently recognized myrmicine tribes, Attini includes the largest in number of species. This study represents the first attempt to analyze the internal phylogenetic relationships of a group within the newly defined Attini based on both mitochondrial and nuclear molecular characters and external morphology. Focusing on the exclusively Neotropical genus Basiceros Schulz, 1906, phylogenetic relationships were investigated under maximum parsimony (morphology), maximum likelihood (molecules) and Bayesian inference (molecules plus morphology + molecules). The three methods recovered the monophyly of Basiceros. To infer the evolutionary history and phylogenetic relationships of the genus a matrix of 53 morphological and 4309 molecular characters was constructed. The parsimony analysis of morphological characters under implicit enumeration resulted in 1 most parsimonious tree with 117 steps, consistency index of 77 and retention index of 72; 4 synapomorphies supporting the monophyly of Basiceros. The molecular phylogenetic analysis under both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference resulted in very similar topologies, with strong support for the genus and all species. Molecular and morphological combined data recovered the monophyly of the genus and all representatives, divided in two recognized clades with strong support. After examining type material for all Basiceros taxa, eight species are recognized, one of which is described as new; Basiceros redux(Donisthorpe, 1939) is transferred to Octostruma. As part of this revisionary work, castes and sexes (including larvae, males and intercasts) are described for the first time for several species of Basiceros. The distributional range for most species is considerably expanded. Under this revised taxonomic framework and inferred phylogenetic relationships, future work can reconstruct the biogeographical history of this cryptic Neotropical ant genus.

Na região centro-oriental da Amazônia, a formiga Pseudomyrmex concolor forma associação mutualista com plantas da espécie Tachigali myrmecophila, onde a formiga estabelece sua colônia nas domácias dessa Fabaceae. Apesar dessa planta não disponibilizar diretamente nenhum recurso alimentar, as formigas funcionam como agentes anti-herbivoria. Esse fenômeno torna o modelo Pseudomyrmex-Tachigali apropriado para testar hipóteses sobre relações ecológicas mutualistas formiga-planta. Espécies que vivem juntas tem como característica o desenvolvimento de estratégias defensivas para manutenção do valor adaptativo de ambas. Esta tese trata da ecologia comportamental e de interações no sistema Pseudomyrmex-Tachigali com o objetivo principal de descrever padrões e explicar processos ecológicos que contribuam para o esclarecimento desse fenômeno. O modelo mutualista utilizado é distribuído em sub-bosques de Florestas de Terra Firme amazônica na Área de Proteção Ambiental do Rio Curiaú, Amapá. Esta tese foi organizada em quatro capítulos que se propõem a responder perguntas, a partir de uma abordagem experimental e observacional, sobre história natural, morfologia, ecologia e comportamento animal dessa relação ecológica. O capítulo 1 teve como objetivo caracterizar o ninho e descrever a estrutura e composição colonial de P. concolor, demonstrando que características como tamanho da planta e espaço da domácia são fatores limitantes para o crescimento colonial. Além disso, evidenciou-se que operárias de P. concolor patrulham e investigam T. myrmecophila diuturnamente durante a estação chuvosa e estação seca amazônico. No capítulo 2 foi corroborada a hipótese de que P. concolor funciona como defesa biótica induzida, e que essas formigas investem mais esforços na defesa de partes mais valiosas para sua planta hospedeira. O capítulo 3 demonstrou que operárias de P. concolor apresentam variação espaço-temporal em T. myrmecophila associada a divisão de trabalho na defesa da colônia. No quarto e último capítulo, evidenciou-se que operárias de P. concolor são eficazes em reconhecer companheiras de ninho e discriminar intrusos, baseadas em sinais químicos, através de comportamentos agressivos. Os quatro capítulos em conjunto retratam a história natural de um mutualismo bem-sucedido entre uma formiga e uma planta mirmecófita na Amazônia brasileira. / In the central-eastern region of the Amazon, the ant Pseudomyrmex concolor (Pseudomyrmecinae) establishes obligatory mutualistic relationship with the plant Tachigali myrmecophila (Caesalpinaceae), where the ants nest inside the domatia. These plants dont directly provide any food resource, even though the ants act as anti-herbivory agents. This phenomenon makes Pseudomyrmex-Tachigali an appropriate model to test hypotheses about obligatory mutualistic ecological relationships. Species living together are characterized by the development of defensive strategies for maintaining the fitness of both organisms related. This thesis addresses the behavioral ecology and interactions of the Pseudomyrmex-Tachigali system, with the major aim to describe patterns and explain ecological processes that contribute to the elucidation of this issue. The mutualistic model analysed is distributed in the Terra Firme Amazonon Forest environments of River Curiaú Reserve, Amapá-Brazil. We organized the study into four chapters that intend to answer questions, from an experimental and observational approach, about natural history, morphology, ecology and animal behavior of this ecological relationship. In chapter 1, we characterized the nest as well as we described the structure and colonial composition of P. concolor. We verified that features such as size of plant and domatia space are factors that limit the colonial growth in P. concolor. In addition, we showed that workers patrol and investigate T. myrmecophila during day and night throughout the winter and summer Amazonian. In Chapter 2, we corroborate the hypothesis that P. concolor works as induced biotic defense and they invest more efforts toward defend the most valuable parts to their host plant. In Chapter 3, we showed that workers of P. concolor have spatio-temporal variation in T. myrmecophila plants associated with division of labor related to defense of the colony. In the fourth and final chapter, we found that P. concolor are effective to recognize nestmates and discriminate intruders through aggressive behaviors, based upon chemical cues. The four chapters together portray the natural history of the successful mutualism between an ant and their myrmecophytic plant in the Brazilian Amazon.

Este trabalho objetivou conhecer e comparar a diversidade de formigas em três fragmentos florestais (Cananéia, Ibicatu e Pariquera-Açu) do Estado de São Paulo. As coletas foram realizadas em serapilheira e na camada mineral (0-5 cm de profundidade), na base de Euterpe edulis. As formigas foram coletadas, utilizando-se sonda cilíndrica de alumínio de 10 cm de diâmetro por 5 cm de altura, a qual era introduzida na serapilheira e no solo; depois triadas, montadas e identificadas. Os dados foram submetidos a análise de variância (ANOVA). Com o programa ANAFAU calcularam-se os índices faunísticos, a diversidade pelo método de Shannon- Wiener (H), os índices de eqüitabilidade (E) e similaridade. A riqueza estimada de espécies, o número de espécies singletons e doubletons e a curva de acumulação de espécies foram calculadas pelo programa EstimateS. As formigas também foram separadas em guildas, com base em aspectos biológicos. Pela análise da suficiência amostral em cada fragmento florestal, observou-se que Cananéia e Pariquera-Açu foram mais homogêneos do que Ibicatu. O número de amostras não foi suficiente para caracterizar os ambientes, pois a curva do coletor não se estabilizou. As formigas foram agrupadas em 9 guildas, sendo que 3 foram consideradas novas. Esses resultados fornecem subsídios para o conhecimento taxonômico e ecológico das espécies de formigas que habitam alguns trechos da Mata Atlântica paulista. / This research deals with the diversity of ants in three forest fragments (Cananéia, Ibicatu, and Pariquera-Açu) of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The insects were collect by using an aluminium cylindrical device introduced into the litter and the soil layer (0 to 5 cm deep) around the base of Euterpe edulis trees. The ants were then taken to the laboratory, pin-mounted and identified. The data were submitted to the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The faunistic, equitability (E) and similarity indexes, and the diversity by the Shannon-Wiener (H) method, were calculated through the ANAFAU program. The estimated species richness, the number of singleton and doubleton species and the accumulation curve of species were calculated by the EstimateS program. The ants were separated into guilds, based in biological aspects. The analysis of sufficiency sampling of each forest fragment indicated that Cananéia and Pariquera-Açu were more homogeneous than Ibicatu. The number of samplings were not sufficient to caracterize the environments for the collector curve did not stabilized. The ants were grouped into nine guilds, being three of them considered new ones. Broadly speaking, the results provide data for the taxonomic and ecological knowledge of ant species occurring in some parts of the São Paulo State Atlantic Forest.

With the growing number of clean-slate redesigns of the Internet, the need for a medium that enables all stakeholders to participate in the realization, evaluation, and selection of these designs is increasing. We believe that the missing catalyst is a meta network architecture that welcomes most, if not all, clean-state designs on a level playing field, lowers deployment barriers, and leaves the final evaluation to the broader community. This thesis presents the eXpressive Internet (Meta) Architecture (XIA), itself a clean-slate design, as well as Linux XIA, a native implementation of XIA in the Linux kernel, as a candidate. As a meta network architecture, XIA is highly flexible, leaving stakeholders to choose an expressive set of network principals to instantiate a given network architecture within the XIA framework. Central to XIA is its novel, non-linear network addressing format, from which derive key architectural features such as evolvability, intrinsically secure identifiers, and a low degree of principal isolation. XIP, the network layer protocol of XIA, forwards packets by navigating these structured addresses and delegating the decision-making and packet processing to appropriate principals, accordingly. Taken together, these mechanisms work in tandem to support a broad spectrum of interoperable principals. We demonstrate how to port four distinct and unrelated network architectures onto Linux XIA, none of which were designed for interoperability with this platform. We then show that, notwithstanding this flexibility, Linux XIA's forwarding performance remains comparable to that of the more mature legacy TCP/IP stack implementation. Moreover, the ported architectures, namely IP, Serval, NDN, and ANTS, empower us to present a deployment plan for XIA, to explore design variations of the ported architectures that were impossible in their original form due to the requirement of self-sufficiency that a standalone network architecture bears, and to substantiate the claim that XIA readily supports and enables network evolution. Our work highlights the benefits of specializing network designs that XIA affords, and comprises instructive examples for the network researcher interested in design and implementation for future interoperability.

The purpose of this study is to investigate toddlers’ responses when they are listening to a biology story with special focus on ants. The method used was a teaching attempt that was supplemented by a video recording of the activi- ty. Four children in the age of about three years participated. The analysis was conducted based on a phenomenological approach. The results show that children's interest in ants during the storytelling activities varied over time. All the children showed interest at some parts during the activities. They showed this affective response through facial expressions, being focused, listening and being active. It seemed as if the pictures that were shown during the storytelling were of importance. To be able to be active was another factor identified having an impact on the outcome. Finally, some of the content in the story that surprised the children also seemed to have an effect. / Syftet med den här studien är att se vilken respons små barn visar när de får en saga berättad för sig i ämnet biologi med inriktning på myran. Metoden som användes var ett undervisningsförsök, som kompletterades med en videoinspelning av aktiviteten. Fyra barn i treårsåldern deltog. En fenomeno- logisk ansats användes för att analysera data. Resultatet visar att barnens intresse för myror varierade under sagoberättandet. Samtliga barn visade intresse under vissa delar av aktiviteterna. De visade sitt intresse genom olika ansiktsuttryck, genom att vara fokuserade, lyssnade och var aktiva. Det verkade som att bilderna som visades under sagoberättandet var betydelse- fulla. Möjligheten att få vara aktiv var en annan viktig faktor. Det verkade även som om delar av innehållet i sagan som skapade förvåning påverkade barnen.

Orientador: Odair Correa Bueno / Resumo: Atualmente, a tribo Attini compreende 45 gêneros e entre eles estão as formigas-cortadeiras cultivadoras de fungo, pertencentes aos gêneros Atta e Acromyrmex, que causam grandes danos econômicos a agricultura devido ao intenso corte de materiais vegetais frescos para cultivo do seu fungo simbiôntico Leucogaricus gongylophorus. Essas formigas apresentam diferentes mecanismos de defesa para proteger seus ninhos contra organismos competidores. Dentre esses mecanismos está a defesa humoral e celular (inata e adquirida) do sistema imune interno e a defesa imune externa, que inclui qualquer característica atuando no ambiente capaz de melhorar sua proteção contra patógenos, sendo esta caracterizada em formigas pela remoção física de patógenos e pela secreção de compostos antimicrobianos advindos de glândulas exócrinas e simbiontes bacterianos. Poucos estudos buscam integrar os diferentes fatores envolvidos na capacidade defensiva das formigas a fim de compreender estratégias fisiológicas adquiridas para proteger a colônia. Diante disso, a presente pesquisa teve por objetivo investigar a defesa da formiga-cortadeira Atta sexdens contra patógenos. Para tanto, realizamos a revisão sistemática dos mecanismos de defesa das formigas discutidos na literatura, a qual nos direcionou para investigação da defesa química externa dessa espécie de formiga. Os ensaios conduzidos foram de atividade enzimática, análise cromatográfica e testes de inibição de fungos patógenos e antagonistas. Verificam... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Currently Attini tribe comprises 45 genera and among them are fungus-growing leaf-cutting ants belonging to the genera Atta and Acromyrmex. They cause great economic damage to agriculture due to the intense cutting of fresh plant material for cultivation of its symbiotic fungus Leucogaricus gongylophorus. These ants present different defense mechanisms to protect their nests against competing organisms. Among these mechanisms is the humoral and cellular defense (innate and acquired) of the internal immune system and the external immune defense. This last one includes any hereditary characteristic acting in the environment and being capable of improve its protection against pathogens. It is characterized in ants by the physical removal of pathogens and by secretion of antimicrobial compounds from exocrine glands and bacterial symbionts. Few studies have sought to integrate the different factors involved in ants' defensive capacity in order to understand physiological strategies acquired to protect the colony. In this way, the present research had the goal to investigate the defense of the ant-cutter Atta sexdens against pathogens. For this, we performed the systematic review of ant defense mechanisms discussed in the literature, which directed us to investigate the external chemical defense of this ant species. The tests carried out were of enzymatic activity, chromatographic analysis and tests of inhibition of pathogenic and antagonistic fungi. We have observed that secretion... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

by Xu Haoyu. / Thesis submitted in: July 2003. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-95). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgement --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii / 摘要 --- p.iii / Contents --- p.iv / List of Abbreviations --- p.vii / List of Tables --- p.viii / List of Figures --- p.ix / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Routing --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Ant Colony Optimization --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research Statement --- p.8 / Chapter 1.3 --- Main Contributions --- p.10 / Chapter 1.4 --- Thesis Organization --- p.11 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Ant Colony Optimization Routing --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1 --- ACO Routing Algorithms --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- ACO Routing Algorithms in Circuit-Switched Networks --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- ACO Routing Approaches in Packet-Switched Networks --- p.16 / Chapter 2.2 --- ACO Routing and Traditional Routing Algorithms --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3 --- ACO Routing and Optimal Routing Algorithms --- p.26 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Reactive Ant Colony Optimization --- p.31 / Chapter 3.1 --- Problem Model --- p.31 / Chapter 3.2 --- RACO Routing Approach --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2.1. --- Node and Probabilistic Routing Table --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2.2. --- Ants --- p.38 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Detailed Description of RACO routing approach --- p.43 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Simulation Results --- p.45 / Chapter 4.1 --- Experiment Design --- p.45 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Topology --- p.46 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Network Layers --- p.48 / Chapter 4.2 --- Results --- p.50 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- NSFNET --- p.50 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- ARPANET --- p.52 / Chapter 4.3 --- Discussion --- p.53 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Convergence Analysis --- p.58 / Chapter 5.1. --- Related Work --- p.59 / Chapter 5.2 --- "Two-Node, Two-Path Model" --- p.61 / Chapter 5.3 --- The Recursive Pheromone Values --- p.64 / Chapter 5.4 --- Pheromone Convergence --- p.70 / Chapter 5.5 --- General Models --- p.81 / Chapter 5.5.1 --- "Two - Node, N - Path Model" --- p.81 / Chapter 5.5.2 --- "M- Node, N(i.j) - Path Model" --- p.83 / Chapter 5.6. --- Conclusion and Discussion --- p.84 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion and Future Work --- p.86 / Chapter 6.1 --- Conclusion --- p.86 / Chapter 6.2 --- Future Work --- p.87 / Reference --- p.89 / Appendices --- p.96 / "Appendix 1 The Detailed Form of P = f1（a,b) and Q = f2（a,b)" --- p.96 / "Appendix 2 To Validate Whether f1（a,b) in the Domain of (0,1)" --- p.102

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-03-25Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:40:30Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 bezerra_cms_dr_rcla_parcial.pdf: 846115 bytes, checksum: a30c17817ace3b78bff6a622be5b4f54 (MD5) Bitstreams deleted on 2015-05-04T12:07:27Z: bezerra_cms_dr_rcla_parcial.pdf,Bitstream added on 2015-05-04T12:07:58Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000713584.pdf: 2314790 bytes, checksum: 9493b5f3f9c8acde069e88273d58babc (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / As formigas da tribo Attini apresentam um mutualismo com fungos basidiomicetos. Entre as attíneas, uma das mais derivadas é a formiga cortadeira Atta laevigata, que se apresenta com ampla distribuição na América do Sul e dividida em duas linhagens mitocondriais. Esta cortadeira já foi classificada em até três subespécies ou mesmo em duas espécies distintas, mas atualmente é considerada uma única espécie com grande variação morfológica. No presente trabalho, foram analisados indivíduos de 84 ninhos de A. laevigata em duas áreas na região Sudeste do Brasil. Nessas áreas foram encontrados indivíduos em ambas as linhagens mitocondriais, denominadas de linhagem I e II. Os machos da linhagem I se apresentaram distintos dos machos da linhagem II, com relação ao peso, dimensões do abdômen e estruturas da genitália. A congruência entre os marcadores morfológicos e mitocondriais sugere que as duas linhagens simpátricas de A. laevigata estão reprodutivamente isoladas, caracterizando um processo de especiação em andamento. Ninhos de ambas as linhagens de A. laevigata contiveram o mesmo fungo mutualista, Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, em três grupos gênicos distintos. Portanto, o processo de especiação em A. laevigata não foi causado por uma especialização no cultivo de um determinado grupo de fungo. Indivíduos simpátricos de linhagens distintas puderam realizar o voo nupcial simultaneamente. No entanto, análises de quatro lócus mitocondriais e seis lócus microssatélites mostraram que cada fêmea em uma das linhagens é fecundada exclusivamente (ou ao menos predominantemente) por machos da mesma linhagem. Portanto, há uma barreira pré-zigótica levando ao isolamento reprodutivo entre indivíduos simpátricos de linhagens distintas. Esta barreira foi provavelmente causada pelas diferenças corpóreas... / Ants of Attini tribe have a mutualism with basidiomycete fungi. Among Attini ants, one of the most derived species is the leafcutter ant Atta laevigata, which has a wide distribution in South America and split into two mitochondrial lineages. This leafcutter has been classified into three subspecies or even up into two distinct species, but nowadays is considered a single species with great morphological variation. In this study, we analyzed 84 individuals from nests of A. laevigata located in two areas of southeastern region of Brazil. Individuals from both mitochondrial lineages, called lineage I and II, were found in those areas. Males of lineage I were different from males of lineage II, concerning weight, dimensions of the abdomen, and genitalia structures. The congruence between morphological and mitochondrial markers suggests that the two sympatric lineages of A. laevigata are reproductively isolated, characterizing a speciation process in progress. Nests of both A. laevigata lineages contained the same mutualistic fungus, Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, in three distinct genetic groups. Therefore, A. laevigata speciation process was not caused by a specialization in the cultivation of a particular group of fungi. Sympatric individuals of distinct lineages could perform the nuptial flight simultaneously. However, analysis of four mitochondrial and six microsatellite locus showed that each female from a lineage is fertilized exclusively (or at least predominantly) by one to six males from the same lineage. Thus, there is a pre zygotic barrier leading to reproductive isolation between sympatric individuals of distinct lineages. This barrier was probably caused by physical differences of males (including the genitalia) that makes it... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-06-21Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:01:38Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 porfirio_lfp_dr_rcla.pdf: 1394069 bytes, checksum: af176c7fa468a0d84248e814bd46e00b (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / As glândulas mandibulares, dos insetos Hymenoptera, fazem parte do seu sistema salivar. São estruturas pares que se localizam uma em cada lado da cabeça, possuindo um ducto excretor abrindo na base da articulação da mandíbula, por onde eliminam a secreção produzida. São compostas por um reservatório associado às células secretoras, sendo que cada célula desemboca individualmente no reservatório através de canalículos. Embora as glândulas mandibulares estejam ligadas às peças bucais, utilizando seu produto glandular na ingestão e digestão de alimentos, essas glândulas evoluíram no sentido de se dissociarem da função digestiva para terem função comportamental. No presente estudo avaliou-se a morfo-histologia, citoquímica ultra-estrutural, dosagem e eletroforese de proteínas, além da expressão gênica das glândulas mandibulares das operárias mínimas, médias e soldados de formigas Atta sexdens rubropilosa, com o objetivo de fornecer informações sobre a dinâmica da produção, bem como a composição e origem da secreção dessas glândulas nas três castas desses insetos. A análise morfológica e ultra-estrutural evidenciou uma organização glandular saculiforme, constituída por uma porção secretora e um reservatório com um ducto excretor a ele conectado. A porção secretora é formada por células arranjadas em ácinos e o reservatório é constituído por um epitélio simples pavimentoso revestido pela íntima cuticular. Essas duas porções encontram-se interligadas por canalículos intra e extracitoplasmáticos. Tanto a histoquímica, quanto a citoquímica ultra-estrutural detectou lipídios, proteínas e polissacarídeos nas diferentes regiões das glândulas mandibulares nas três castas estudadas, inclusive em suas secreções, demonstrando... / The mandibular glands, in the Hymenoptera insects, make up part of the salivary system. These glands are paired structures that are located one on each side of the head, containing an excretory duct, at the base of the mandible articulation, from which the secretion produced is eliminated. They contain a reservoir associated with the secretory cells, being that each cell opens individually in the reservoir through the canaliculi. Even though the mandibular glands are connected to the bucal parts, using its glandular product in the ingestion and digestion of food, these glands have evolved in the sense of being disassociated with the digestive function to having a behavioural function. In the present study the morpho-histology, ultrastructural cytochemistry, protein dosage and electrophoresis were evaluated, as well as the gene expression of the mandibular glands of the minima, media workers and soldiers of ants Atta sexdens rubropilosa, with the objective of providing information about the production dynamics, as well as the composition and origin of the secretion of these glands in the three castes of these insects. The morphological and ultrastructural analysis described a glandular organization consisting of sacs, formed by a secretory portion and a reservoir with a connected excretory duct. The secretory portion is formed by cells arranged in alveoli and the reservoir is constituted of a simple pavimentous epithelium covered by the cuticular intima. These two portions are interconnected by intra- and extra-cytoplasmic canaliculi. The histochemistry, as well the ultrastructural cytochemistry, highlighted lipids, proteins and polysaccharides in different regions of the mandibular glands in the three castes studied demonstrating... (Complete abstract, click electronic address below)