Cardiocondyla

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Cardiocondyla
C. wroughtonii ergatoid male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Cardiocondyla
Emery, 1869
Type species
Cardiocondyla elegans
Emery, 1869
Diversity[1]
69 species
Synonyms

Dyclona Santschi, 1930
Emeryia Forel, 1890
Loncyda Santschi, 1930
Prosopidris Wheeler, 1935
Xenometra Emery, 1917

Cardiocondyla pirata paratype

Cardiocondyla is an Old World genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.[2]

Distribution

Approximately 70 species are currently recognized as belonging to this genus, most of which are distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics, but a few of which occur in the temperate zone. Some species are also found widely separated in North America and the Pacific Islands, as a result of human introduction.[3]

Description

Several species of this genus have a striking male polymorphism, with both winged and wingless forms. These males differ not only in morphology, but also in reproductive tactics.[3] Closely related genera are Leptothorax, Stereomyrmex and Romblonella.[4]

Outbreeding

Cardiocondyla elegans worker ants transport young queen ants to alien nests to promote outbreeding.[5] This allows avoidance of inbreeding depression. The worker ants, sisters of these queens, may transport the queens several meters from their natal nest and drop them off at another, alien nest to promote outbreeding with wingless stationary males in a process somewhat analogous to third party matchmaking in humans.[5] After mating during the winter, the sexual females may depart in the spring and find their own colonies.

Species

References

  1. ^ Bolton, B. (2014). "Cardiocondyla". AntCat. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Genus: Cardiocondyla". antweb.org. AntWeb. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  3. ^ a b Okita, I.; Murase, K.; Sato, T.; Kato, K.; Hosoda, A.; Terayama, M.; Masuko, K. (2013). "The Spatial Distribution of mtDNA and Phylogeographic Analysis of the Ant Cardiocondyla kagutsuchi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Japan". Sociobiology. 60 (2): 129–134. doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v60i2.129-134.
  4. ^ Taylor, Robert W. (1991). "Notes on the ant genera Romblonella and Willowsiella, with comments on their affinities, and the first descriptions of Australian species. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)". Psyche. 97 (3–4): 281–298. doi:10.1155/1990/29514.
  5. ^ a b Vidal, Mathilde; Königseder, Florian; Giehr, Julia; Schrempf, Alexandra; Lucas, Christophe; Heinze, Jürgen (2021). "Worker ants promote outbreeding by transporting young queens to alien nests". Communications Biology. 4 (1): 515. doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02016-1. PMC 8093424. PMID 33941829.

External links

Retrieved from "https://mdwiki.org/wiki/Cardiocondyla"