| Title: |
Caste differences and morphological skew in the swarm-founding wasp Agelaia timida Cooper, 2000 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini). |
| Authors: |
NOLL, FERNANDO B., DA SILVA, MARJORIE, SOMAVILLA, ALEXANDRE, CARPENTER, JAMES M. |
| Source: |
American Museum Novitates; 6/21/2024, Vol. 2024 Issue 4017, p1-12, 12p |
| Subject Terms: |
CASTE, VESPIDAE, HYMENOPTERA, FOUNDING, DISCRIMINANT analysis, OVARIES |
| Abstract: |
Here, we tested the application of morphological skew in Agelaia timida by reporting caste dimorphism and comparing it with other epiponine species. A description of a nest of A. timida is also provided. Females were measured to investigate morphological differences between castes and dissected to assess ovarian development. Three types of ovaries were found: filamentous (workers), developed with some mature oocytes (intermediates), and developed and inseminated (queens). Queens are bigger than workers, but discriminant analysis showed castes are not morphologically distinct. Mahalanobis distance showed a statistical separation between inseminated and non-inseminated females, and the only distinct group was workers. The results differ from other species of Agelaia, which present clear-cut caste differences. Thus, A. timida fits into morphological skew theory since it forms small colonies with low caste differentiation and nonsterility of workers. These features, plus the presence of a true envelope, may be plesiomorphic, as observed in the ground plan of Epiponini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: |
Complementary Index |
