Os dípteros da família Phoridae possuem grande diversidade, bem como apresentam entre seus gêneros e espécies uma das maiores plasticidades de papeis no ecossistema, atuando como herbívoros, decompositores, polinizadores, parasitoides etc.. Alguns grupos são conhecidos como parasitoides de formigas como os gêneros Cremersia Schmitz 1924, Eibesfeldtphora Disney 2009 e Neodohrniphora Malloch 1914. Em termos filogenéticos, a primeira hipótese cladistica proposta recuperou Cremersia Schmitz e Neodohrniphora Malloch como gêneros irmãos. Posteriormente, Neodohrniphora foi classificado em três subgêneros: N. (Eibesfeldtphora Disney), N. (Neodohrniphora Malloch) e N. (Wallerphora Disney). Mais recentemente, o subgênero Eibesfeldtphora foi elevado ao nível de gênero e os gêneros Cremersia e Neodohrniphora foram sinonimizados como único grupo, baseado em análises morfológicas. Tais mudanças foram justificadas com base nas características do ovipositor. Portanto, os objetivos do presente trabalho foram no capítulo 1, reconstruir as relações filogenéticas entre os gêneros Cremersia, Eibesfeldtphora e Neodohrniphora revisando amplamente os caracteres morfológicos de genitália e estudar as relações coevolutivas com seus hospedeiros, e no capítulo 2 revisar taxonomicamente o gênero Neodohrniphora. A maior parte do material estudado e analisado morfologicamente foi proveniente principalmente das coleções LACM (Los Angeles - EUA) e MZSP (São Paulo - Brasil). O resultado da análise filogenética recuperou os gêneros como monofiléticos e a presença de traços coevolutivos entre os parasitoides e os hospedeiros. No segundo capítulo sete novas espécies foram descritas para o gênero Neodohrniphora. Esse estudo confirma a importância de estudos de genitália feminina para os grupos de parasitóides, tanto para informações taxonômicas como para filogenéticas. Trabalhos futuros serão importantes para elucidar melhor esses mecanismos de oviposição dos forídeos, como o estudo da musculatura do abdômen e a observação em campo do ataque dos parasitóides às formigas / The Phoridae have a great diversity, as well as presenting one of the largest plasticides of roles in the ecosystem, acting as herbivores, decomposers, pollinators, parasitoids, etc. Some groups are known as ant parasitoids like the genera Neodohrniphora Malloch 1914,. Cremersia Schmitz 1924 and Eibesfeldtphora Disney 2009. In phylogenetic studies, the first proposed cladistic hypothesis recovered Cremersia Schmitz and Neodohrniphora Malloch as sister genera. Subsequently, Neodohrniphora was classified into three subgenus: Eibesfeldtphora, Neodohrniphora and Wallerphora. More recently, the subgenus Eibesfeldtphora was raised to the genus level and the genera Cremersia and Neodohrniphora were synonymized, based on morphological analyzes. The synonym was justified based on the characteristics of the ovipositor. The objective of the present work was to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships between the genera Cremersia, Eibesfeldtphora and Neodohrniphora, revising extensively the morphological characters of genitalia and to study the coevolutionary relations with their hosts, and in chapter 2 make a revision of the genus Neodohrniphora. Most of the material studied and analyzed morphologically came from the LACM (Los Angeles - USA) and MZSP (São Paulo - Brazil) collections. The result of the phylogenetic analysis recovered the genera as monophyletic and the presence of coevolutionary traits between the parasitoids and the hosts. This study confirms the importance of studies of female genitalia for groups of parasitoids, both for taxonomic and phylogenetic information. Future works will be important to elucidate better the oviposition mechanisms of parasitoids, as the study of the musculature of the abdomen and the field observation of the attack of the parasitoids to the ants

PEREIRA, Janaína Cruz. Estrutura colonial, padrão de forrageamento e distribuição espacial dos ninhos em uma população de Blepharidatta (formicidae, myrmicinae, blepharidattini) do bioma da caatinga, em Crateús, Ceará, Brasil. 2013. 115 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em ecologia e recursos naturais)- Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza-CE, 2013. / Submitted by Elineudson Ribeiro (elineudsonr@gmail.com) on 2016-05-20T18:16:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_jcpereira.pdf: 5238840 bytes, checksum: dc312683cc0b17710e4a4238f87bf3cb (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by José Jairo Viana de Sousa (jairo@ufc.br) on 2016-05-27T20:34:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_jcpereira.pdf: 5238840 bytes, checksum: dc312683cc0b17710e4a4238f87bf3cb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-27T20:34:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_jcpereira.pdf: 5238840 bytes, checksum: dc312683cc0b17710e4a4238f87bf3cb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Blepharidatta (Myrmicinae, Blepharidattini), an ant genus with a strictly Neotropical distribution, is formed by predatory species whose small colonies nest in soil or leaf-litter. With widely scattered populations, but high nest density in places where they occur, these ants are also noticeable for its close phylogenetic relationship with basal groups of Attini (fungus-growing ants), a fact which places Blepharidatta at the center of discussions and hypotheses on the origin and evolution of symbiosis between ants and fungi. Of the six recognized species, only two are formally described: B. brasiliensis (Amazon Rainforest) and B. conops (Cerrado). A new population (Blepharidatta sp.) was recently found in the Caatinga biome (a savanna-like formation of northeastern Brazil), in the “Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Serra das Almas” (RPPNSA) (Crateús-State of Ceará). The aim of the study was to obtain information about the biology of this population, compare it with that available for other species, particularly B. conops, and discuss the taxonomic identity of this population. The work was carried out in the RPPNSA, in a wooded Caatinga area, where Blepharidatta sp. nests were excavated in order to describe their architecture, as well as to obtain information about the size and composition of the colonies. A detailed analysis of the carcasses ring found around nest openings was used to establish the diet of Blepharidatta sp. whose foraging activity pattern was also investigated by monitoring foragers’ activity during 24 hours periods. The distribution, density and foraging area size of nests were investigated by repeated mapping of nests found in an area of 144 m². The results showed that Blepharidatta sp. and B. conops share some key features of their biology like the basic architecture of their nests built in soil, with wide tunnels and some chambers, the presence of a ring of carcasses around the unique nest opening, monogyny, the presence of phragmotic head in queens and a diet consisting mainly of ants. Accordingly, Blepharidatta sp. and B. conops clearly differ from the Amazon or Atlantic Rainforest species (e.g. B. brasiliensis) that nest in leaf-litter, are polygynous, and whose queens have no phragmotic head. However, significant differences were found between Blepharidatta sp. and B. conops, in particular in the architecture of its nests (more complex and with different types of chambers in Blepharidatta sp.) and the size of the colonies (larger in Blepharidatta sp.). Moreover, Blepharidatta sp. differs from B. conops with respect to queen and brood location in the nests, as well as to the size of the queen frontal disk and the sculpture of the disk cuticle. Two hypotheses are proposed and discussed. In the first, the Blepharidatta population found in the “Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Serra das Almas” would represent a new species, possibly endemic to the Caatinga biome. In the second, this population would represent one extreme in the phenotypic variations observed in all populations forming B. conops species. / De distribuição estritamente Neotropical, o gênero de formigas Blepharidatta (Myrmicinae, Blepharidattini) é formado por espécies predadoras, cujas pequenas colônias nidificam no solo ou na serrapilheira. Com populações muito espalhadas, porém com alta densidade de ninhos nas localidades onde ocorrem, essas formigas também se destacam por sua estreita ligação filogenética com os grupos basais de Attini (formigas criadoras de fungos), um fato que coloca o gênero Blepharaditta no centro de discussões e hipóteses sobre a origem e evolução da simbiose entre formigas e fungos. Das seis espécies reconhecidas, apenas duas são formalmente descritas: B. brasiliensis (floresta Amazônica) e B. conops (Cerrado). Uma nova população (Blepharidatta sp.) foi recentemente encontrada no bioma da Caatinga, na Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Serra das Almas (RPPNSA) (Crateús-CE). O objetivo do estudo foi obter informações sobre a biologia dessa população, compará-las com as disponíveis para outras espécies, em particular B. conops, e discutir a identidade taxonômica dessa população. O trabalho foi realizado em uma área de Caatinga arbórea da RPPNSA, onde ninhos de Blepharidatta sp. foram escavados com o intuito de obter um retrato da sua arquitetura, bem como do tamanho e da composição das colônias. A análise detalhada dos anéis de carcaças presentes ao redor do orifício de entrada de ninhos permitiu determinar o regime alimentar de Blepharidatta sp. cujo padrão de atividade de forrageamento foi também investigado através do monitoramento da atividade das forrageiras durante períodos de 24 horas. A distribuição, a densidade e o tamanho da área de forrageamento dos ninhos foram investigados através do mapeamento repetido dos ninhos numa área de 144 m². Os resultados mostram que Blepharidatta sp. e B. conops compartilham alguns traços fundamentais da sua biologia como a arquitetura básica dos ninhos, construídos no solo e formados por túneis largos e algumas câmaras, a presença de um anel de carcaças ao redor do único orifício de entrada dos ninhos, a monoginia das colônias, a presença de uma cabeça fragmótica nas rainhas e um regime alimentar formado principalmente por formigas. Nesse sentido, Blepharidatta sp. e B. conops se demarcam claramente das espécies da floresta Amazônica (ex: B. brasiliensis) ou da Mata Atlântica que nidificam na serrapilheira, são poligínicas, e cujas rainhas não possuem cabeça fragmótica. Entretanto, importantes diferenças foram encontradas entre Blepharidatta sp. e B. conops, em particular na arquitetura dos ninhos (mais complexa e com tipos diferentes de câmara em Blepharidatta sp.) e no tamanho das colônias (maior em Blepharidatta sp.). Além do mais, Blepharidatta sp. difere de B. conops na localização da rainha e da prole nos ninhos, bem como nas dimensões do disco frontal das rainhas e no aspecto da cutícula desse disco. Duas hipóteses são formuladas e discutidas. Na primeira, a população de Blepharidatta da Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Serra das Almas representaria uma nova espécie, possivelmente endémica do bioma da Caatinga. Na segunda, essa população representaria um extremo das variações fenotípicas observadas no conjunto de populações formando a espécie B. conops.

The importance of ants as elements in cave ecology has been mostly unrecognized. A global list of ant species recorded from caves, compiled from a review of existing literature, is presented. This paper also reviews what is currently known about ants occurring in Arizona ( USA) caves. The diversity and distribution represented in these records suggests ants are relatively common cave visitors (trogloxenes). A general utilization of caves by ants within both temperate and tropical latitudes may be inferred from this combined evidence. Observations of ant behavior in Arizona caves demonstrate a low level and sporadic, but persistent, use of these habitats and their contained resources by individual ant colonies. Documentation of Neivamyrmex sp. preying on cave-inhabiting arthropods is reported here for the first time. Observations of hypogeic army ants in caves suggests they may not penetrate to great vertical depth in search of prey, but can be persistent occupants in relatively shallow, horizontal sections of caves where they may prey on endemic cave animals. First cave records for ten ant species are reported from Arizona caves. These include two species of Neivamyrmex (N. nigrescens Cresson and Neivamyrmex sp.; Formicidae: Dorylinae), four myrmicines (Pheidole portalensis Wilson, Pheidole cf. porcula Wheeler, Solenopsis aurea Wheeler and Stenamma sp. Westwood), one dolichoderine (Forelius keiferi Wheeler) and three formicines (Lasius arizonicus Wheeler, L. sitiens Wilson, and Camponotus sp. Mayr).

This thesis describes investigations of how chemicals present on the cuticle of ants impact three important features of social living in insects: hygiene and disease resistance; navigation; and interspecies chemical signalling. Eusociality brings many benefits, but also has the potential to make insect colonies vulnerable to disease. In Chapter 2 of this thesis I investigate the role of the antimicrobial agent micromolide, in the Yellow meadow ant, Lasius flavus. Micromolide is found to be present on the cuticle of L. flavus workers, and is also found to be deposited onto a substrate by walking ants, revealing a possible mechanism for maintenance of sanitary nest conditions. Chapter 3 of this thesis focuses on navigation in L. flavus, specifically route-memory formation and the possibility of home-range markings providing a chemical cue via which ants can navigate from a food source to the nest. It was found that allowing ants to follow a pheromone trail to food increased the number of navigational errors made by returning ants, and that home-range markings did not provide effective guidance to ants returning to the nest. In Chapter 4, I report on a project undertaken during field work in Brazil into how cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of the ant Camponotus arborious can act as kairomones when detected by Nasutitermes corniger, a common termite species. Experiments showed that N. corniger is less likely to repair experimentally opened tunnels in the presence of C. arborious CHCs, with 4 of 7 colonies tested blocking up tunnels, rather than rebuilding over CHC marked areas. Finally, Chapter 5 of this thesis discusses potential future projects, following on from the work presented in Chapters 2, 3 and 4.

Group living is a widely adopted strategy by many organisms and given the advantages offered by a social lifestyle, such as increased protection from predators or increased ability for resource exploitation, a wide variety of animals have adopted a social lifestyle. Arguably none have done this more successfully than the social insects. Indeed their efficient division of labour is often cited as a key attribute for the remarkable ecological and evolutionary success of these societies. Within the social insects the most obvious division of labour is reproductive, in which one or a few individuals monopolise reproduction while the majority of essentially sterile workers carry out the remaining tasks essential for colony survival. In almost all social insects, in particular ants, the age of a worker will predispose it to certain tasks, and in some social insects the workers vary in size such that task is associated with worker morphology. In this thesis I explore the proximate and ultimate causes of worker and reproductive division of labour in ant societies, which span a range of social complexities. I predominantly focus on both the highly derived leaf-cutting ants – a so-called ‘pinnacle' of evolution within the social insects, with a complex division of labour and a strong worker caste system – and in the more basal primitive societies of the queenless ponerine dinosaur ants, which can offer an insight in to the evolution of division of labour at the earliest stages of social lifestyles. This work demonstrates the environmental and genetic determinants of division of labour in group-living societies outside of the classical honey bee model system. This is important as it helps us to better understand the broader processes shaping behaviour and phenotype in the animal kingdom.

In social insects, foraging is often cooperative, and so requires considerable organisation. In most ants, organisation is a bottom-up process where decisions taken by individuals result in emergent colony level patterns. Individuals base their decisions on their internal state, their past experience, and their environment. By depositing trail pheromones, for example, ants can alter the environment, and thus affect the behaviour of their nestmates. The development of emergent patterns depends on both how individuals affect the environment, and how they react to changes in the environment. Chapters 4 – 9 investigate the role of trail pheromones and route memory in the ant Lasius niger. Route memories can form rapidly and be followed accurately, and when route memories and trail pheromones contradict each other, ants overwhelmingly follow route memories (chapter 4). Route memories and trail pheromones can also interact synergistically, allowing ants to forage faster without sacrificing accuracy (chapter 5). Home range markings also interact with other information sources to affect ant behaviour (chapter 6). Trail pheromones assist experienced ants when facing complex, difficult-to-learn routes (chapter 7). When facing complicated routes, ants deposit more pheromone to assist in navigation and learning (chapter 7). Deposition of trail pheromones is suppressed by ants leaving a marked path (chapter 5), strong pheromone trails (chapter 7) and trail crowding (chapter 8). Colony level ‘decisions' can be driven by factors other than trail pheromones, such as overcrowding at a food source (chapter 9). Chapter 10 reviews the many roles of trail pheromones in ants. Chapters 11 – 14 focus on the organisation of cooperative food retrieval. Pheidole oxyops workers arrange themselves non-randomly around items to increase transport speeds (chapter 11). Groups of ants will rotate food items to reduce drag (chapter 12). Chapters 13 and 14 encompass the ecology of cooperative transport, and how it has shaped trail pheromone recruitment in P. oxyops and Paratrechina longicornis. Lastly, chapter 15 provide a comprehensive review of cooperative transport in ants and elsewhere.

Parasites represent a considerable and ubiquitous threat to organisms, and studies of host-parasite interactions can demonstrate important insights into key biological processes. Identification and quantification of host defences and their role in parasite resistance is an important part of understanding these effects. Additionally, life-history traits can have significant effects on host-parasite interactions. For example, living in groups has many benefits, but also may have associated costs in terms of increased parasite transmission. Thus group-living animals may be predicted to invest heavily in disease resistance strategies, though which may depend on each species' parasite pressure. Social insects, and ants in particular, are an ideal model with which to test these evolutionary and ecological hypotheses, as they possess an array of mechanisms to defend themselves against disease and have highly diverse life-histories. However, previous studies into disease resistance tend to have been performed on single species, often looking at just single measures of investment of defence. In this thesis I explore the comparative importance of disease resistance in different ant species. I show that ants possess a variety of defence mechanisms to protect themselves against the threat of parasites and demonstrate how investment into these important defences can vary between individuals and species, and may depend on context, type of parasite, and life-history of the host. Work such as this, demonstrating the costs of individual components of disease resistance in multiple species, is important in developing our understanding of how changes in parasite pressures can influence host biology and how organisms can survive in a world abundant with parasites.

Submitted by Marco Antônio de Ramos Chagas (mchagas@ufv.br) on 2017-07-05T13:59:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 523139 bytes, checksum: 7f161be5383218fe1daaf7c9dc33da1f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-05T13:59:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 523139 bytes, checksum: 7f161be5383218fe1daaf7c9dc33da1f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2001-03-23 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O objetivo do trabalho foi fazer um levantamento das espécies de formigas que ocorrem em ambientes hospitalares, em Viçosa, Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais. Foram realizadas coletas de formigas em dois hospitais entre setembro de 1999 e junho de 2000, a cada três meses durante um período de um ano, sendo capturados os insetos tanto durante o dia quanto durante a noite. Para se fazer o levantamento das espécies no exterior de cada hospital, percorreu-se todo o perímetro hospitalar, coletando-se manualmente, com o auxílio de pinças de relojoeiro de ponta fina, exemplares de espécies de formigas. No interior percorreu-se todas as dependências do corpo principal de cada hospital, coletando-se, manualmente, todas as espécies presentes em cada ambiente e acondicionando-as como já descrito. Internamente, também foram distribuídas iscas (armadilhas) a base de mel e de sardinha colocadas individualmente em tubinhos do tipo anestésico de dentista. As iscas de mel foram deixadas por um período de 24h, enquanto as de sardinha por 3h, após o que eram levadas ao Laboratório onde efetuou-se a identificação. Com auxílio de um psicrômetro de funda foram medidas a temperatura e a umidade relativa nesses locais. Foram coletadas 45 espécies de formigas em ambos os hospitais, sendo 43 no exterior e 29 no interior. Um total de 15 espécies foi comum a ambos os hospitais. Constatou-se que a temperatura exerceu influência no comportamento de forrageamento das formigas. Nas coletas no interior, Paratrechina longicornis destacou-se no Hospital A por sua maior freqüência. Já, Tapinoma melanocephalum e Tetramorium simillimum também foram muito freqüentes nesse mesmo hospital, sobretudo em ambientes de ótimo estado de conservação. No Hospital B, destacou-se Pheidole sp. 5 como a mais freqüente. A presença de plantas ornamentais e frutíferas próximo ou no interior dos hospitais contribuiu para a ocorrência de formigas. Os dados mostraram que o tipo de revestimento de parede e piso influenciaram a ocorrência de formigas. Na segunda etapa deste trabalho foram testadas iscas de ácido bórico a 1% em solução de mel com água destilada, no controle de formigas em ambientes hospitalares. As iscas foram acondicionadas em tubos plásticos de 4 cm de altura por 2,5 cm de diâmetro e distribuídas uma por ambiente, em pontos fixos. Observou-se que o ácido bórico foi eficiente no combate de Camponotus (Myrmobrachys) crassus, Crematogaster sp. gp. quadriformis, Camponotus fuscocinctus e Tetramorium simillimum. Verificou-se, ainda, que a eficiência do produto e o tempo requerido para o controle vai depender da espécie de formiga a ser combatida. / The objective of this work was to survey ant species occurrring in two hospitals of Viçosa, Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, and in their surroundings. Ants were collected at three-month intervals, from September/1999 to July/2000, during the day and at night. Ants were picked with tweezers along the whole outside perimeter of each hospital. In the inside, all the rooms within the main building were sampled with tweezers, and also with honey and tuna fish baits. Honey baits were left for 24 consecutive hours in each room, whereas tuna fish baits were left for only 3 hours. Temperature and relative humidity data were also secured. A total of 45 ant species was identified, 43 of them in the outside and 29 in the inside of the buildings. Fifteen species were common to both hospitals. Temperature affected foraging by ants. Paratrechina longicornis was the most frequent species inside Hospital A. Tapinoma melanocephalum and Tetramorium simillimum were also common, especially in well kept environments. Pheidole sp.5 was the most frequent species in Hospital B. The presence of ornamental plants and fruit trees next to or inside the hospitals contributed to species invasion. Both flooring type and wall finishing affect the occurrence of ants. In a second stage of this work, 1% boric acid in a honey-water solution was tested as a possible ant control means in these hospital buildings. It was found that this bait was efficient in controlling Camponotus (Myrmobranchys) crassus, Crematogaster sp. gp. quadriformis, Camponotus fuscocinctus and Tetramorium simillimum. It was also found that the efficiency of boric acid will depend on ant species and time of exposure to the baits. 6 / Dissertação importada do Alexandria

No description available.

I report the results of the first detailed phylogenetic study of the ant subfamily Ponerinae, a diverse lineage whose properties make it an attractive model system for investigating social and ecological evolution in ants. Molecular sequence data were obtained from seven nuclear genes for 86 ponerine taxa, representing all three ponerine tribes, 22 of the 28 currently recognized genera, and 14 of the 18 informal subgenera of Pachycondyla, a genus strongly suspected to be non-monophyletic. Divergence dates, historical biogeography, and the origin of reproduction by gamergate workers were estimated on the inferred phylogeny. The most important results of this study include: (1) the monophyly of Ponerinae; (2) the paraphyly of Ponerini; (3) the extensive non-monophyly of Pachycondyla; (4) a rapid basal radiation in Ponerini; (5) resolution of many deeper relationships within Ponerini; (6) a rapid and rich basal radiation in the Odontomachus group; (7) an origin for Ponerinae in the upper Cretaceous, with a major burst of diversification near the K/T boundary; (8) a history of rich and continual ponerine diversification during the Cenozoic; (9) a history of regionalized radiations and frequent faunal exchange between major biogeographic provinces; and (10) support for multiple origins of gamergates in Ponerinae. Ponerine taxonomic classification is revised to reflect both these phylogenetic results and a reappraisal of ponerine morphological diversity. The monogeneric tribe Thaumatomyrmecini is newly synonymized under Ponerini, and the diverse genus Pachycondyla is fragmented into 15 genera, largely along the lines of its junior synonyms, though two new genera are erected: Buniapone (gen. nov.) and Mayaponera (gen. nov.). Some junior synonyms of Pachycondyla are transferred to junior synonym status under other genera: Wadeura as a junior synonym of Cryptopone (syn. nov.), Xiphopelta as a junior synonym of Pseudoponera (syn. nov.), and both Termitopone and Syntermitopone as junior synonyms of Neoponera (syn. nov.). Molecular and morphological justifications for these taxonomic changes are given alongside discussions of phylogenetic relationships. Keys to the world genera of Ponerinae are provided, and morphological diagnoses and species lists are given for each genus. Finally, the available information on ponerine ecology and behavior is reviewed and synthesized.