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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Polyrhachis sp

Many arthropods such as spiders, praying mantis, beetles and assassin bugs mimic ants. Here is one ant that mimics another, this Polyrhachis species mimics Diacamma ants. From the head to the gaster this Polyrhachis species looks very similar to Diacamma. The main give away are the spines on the thorax.

In ants, mimicry is not restricted to morphological appearance but are very commonly expressed in behavior one of the most common of which is the raised gasters that in smaller species mimics fireants (i.e. Solenopsis and to some extend also Monomorium) and in larger species probably mimicry of Oecophylla smaragdina. This mimicry expression is usually targeting larger predators such as birds, lizards, frogs and even small mammals as obviously arthropods that prey on ants such as centipedes, scorpions, spiders, praying mantis, assassin bugs, etc are not exactly deterred.

This Polyrhachis species like most of this genus is monomorphic and polygynous.



Workers of a Diacamma mimicking slim Polyrhachis ant
A Polyrhachis esuriens ant that mimics Diacamma.

Worker of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Worker of Polyrhachis esuriens.

Worker of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Worker of a Polyrhachis esuriens.

Worker of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Worker of a  Polyrhachis esuriens.

Worker of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Worker of slim Polyrhachis esuriens.

Worker of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Worker of Polyrhachis esuriens.

Worker of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Worker of Polyrhachis esuriens.

Worker of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Worker of Polyrhachis esuriens.

Worker of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Worker of  Polyrhachis esuriens.

Alate of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Alate of Polyrhachis esuriens.
Alate of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Alate of Polyrhachis esuriens.

Alate of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Alate of  Polyrhachis esuriens.

Dealate of a slim Polyrhachis ant
Dealate of  Polyrhachisesuriens.

Dealate of a slim Polyrhachis ant
De-alated Polyrhachis esuriens queen.


See also:
Polyrhachis genus. 84544


Taxonomy:
Top Node: cellular organisms 131567
SuperKingdom: Eukaryota 2759
No Rank: Opisthokonta 33154
Kingdom: Metazoa 33208
No Rank: Eumetazoa 6072
No Rank: Bilateria 33213
No Rank: Coelomata 33316
No Rank: Protostomia 33317
No Rank: Panarthropoda 88770
Phylum: Arthropoda 6656
No Rank: Mandibulata 197563
No Rank: Pancrustacea 197562
Superclass: Hexapoda 6960
Class: Insecta 50557
No Rank: Dicondylia 85512
No Rank: Pterygota 7496
Subclass: Neoptera 33340
Infraclass: Endopterygota 33392
Order: Hymenoptera 7399
No Rank: Apocrita 7400
Suborder: Aculeata 7434
Superfamily: Vespoidea 34725
Family: Formicidae 36668
Subfamily: Formicinae 7479
Tribe: Camponotini 72773
Genus:- Polyrhachis 84544



Last Updated: 2014 04 30
First Posted: 2014 04 29
© 2009 – 2014 Quah. All rights reserved.
Posted by 2 comments:

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Pheidole sp

Most species of the Pheidole genus are dimorphic and it has been reported that less than one percent of this vast genus is trimorphic. There are six or seven known species of Pheidole that are trimorphic and these are mostly found in North America. All these known trimorphic species have two major worker expression namely the major and super major.

In this very rare trimorphic species there are three morphological expression of the worker's caste. But most unusual is that beside the typical minor and major workers expression there is a median worker expression. The major workers are characterized by large gaster that are approximately the same size as their heads. This disproportionately large gaster is also in the median worker.


The minor, median and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant
The minor, median and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole sp(24) ant.

The minor, median and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant
The minor, median and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant.

The minor, median and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant
The minor, median and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant.

The minor, median and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant
The minor, median and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant.

The minor and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant
The minor and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant.

The minor and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant
The minor and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant.

The minor and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant
The minor and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant.

The queen with major and minor workers and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant
The queen with major and minor workers and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant.

The minor and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant
The minor and major workers with a gyne and brood of a rare trimorphic species of Pheidole ant.

The major workers of this rare Pheidole species
The major workers of this rare Pheidole species.

The major and minor workers of this rare Pheidole species
The major and minor workers of this rare Pheidole species.

The major, median and minor workers of this rare Pheidole species
The major, median and minor workers of this rare Pheidole species.

The median, minor and major workers of this rare Pheidole species
The median, minor and major workers of this rare Pheidole species.

The median, minor and major workers of this rare Pheidole species
The median, minor and major workers of this rare Pheidole species.

The median and minor workers of this rare Pheidole species with pupae (of minor and median workers)
The median and minor workers of this rare Pheidole species with pupae (of minor and median workers).

The median and minor workers of this rare Pheidole species with pupae (of minor and median workers) and a larva
The median and minor workers of this rare Pheidole species with pupae (of minor and median workers).

Median workers of a rare trimorphic Pheidole species
The median worker of a rare trimorphic Pheidole ant species.

The median and minor workers of this rare Pheidole species with pupae (of minor and median workers) and a larva
The median and minor workers of this rare Pheidole species with pupae (of minor and median workers) and a larva.

The minor worker of this trimorphic Pheidole ant
The minor worker of this trimorphic Pheidole ant.



See also:


Taxonomy:
No rank: cellular organisms 131567
Superkingdom (Domain): Eukaryota 2759
No rank: Opisthokonta 33154
Kingdom: Metazoa 33208
No rank: Eumetazoa 6072
No rank (Subkingdom): Bilateria 33213
No rank (Branch): Protostomia 33317
No rank (Infrakingdom): Ecdysozoa
No rank (Superphylum): Panarthropoda 88770
Phylum: Arthropoda 6656
No rank (Subphylum): Mandibulata 197563
No rank: Pancrustacea 197562
Subphylum (Epiclass): Hexapoda 6960
Class: Insecta 50557
No rank (Subclass): Dicondylia 85512
Subclass (Infraclass): Pterygota 7496
Infraclass: Neoptera 33340
Cohort: Holometabola
Order: Hymenoptera 7399
Suborder Apocrita 7400
Infraorder: Aculeata 7434
Superfamily: Formicoidea
Family: Formicidae 36668
Subfamily: Myrmicinae 34695
Tribe: Pheidolini 144015
Genus: Pheidole 190769


Updated: 2022 03 15
First Posted: 2014 04 08
© 2009 – 2022 Quah. All rights reserved.
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