Ameisen: Neue wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse

[Teleutotje]

Why Fungus-Farming Ants Could Be a Source for New Antimicrobial Compounds:

https://entomologytoday.org/2025/01/07/ ... compounds/

The original article:

Antimicrobial-producing microorganisms in fungus-farming ants: a critical review on insights into a natural biological defense with biotechnological potential.
Jorge Víctor Maurice-Lira, Jesús Romero-Nápoles, Jorge Pérez-Cárcamo, Dánae Mercedes Martínez-Cerón, Karla Yolanda Flores-Maldonado, Simón Morales-Rodríguez, Jesús Pérez-Moreno.

Article, pdf and supplemental file:

https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article/1 ... ogin=false

[Merkur]

Acid reign: formicine ants and their venoms („Säureherrschaft“: Formicinen und ihre Gifte)
Lukas Koch, Timo H.J. Niedermeyer & Simon Tragust
Myrmecol. News 35: 1-27, 15 January 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.25849/myrmecol.news_035:001
Der Titel ist wohl ein Wortspiel; ich las zuerst auch „acid rain“, Saurer Regen, aber da steht „reign“, „Herrschaft“, als Beispiel im Lexikon: „a reign of terror“, eine Schreckensherrschaft.
Es ist ein Literatur-Review, sehr umfangreich, sehr gründlich, enthält dabei natürlich auch ältere Untersuchungen, bei denen man sich eine Überprüfung wünscht.
Großes Literaturverzeichnis.
Die Fig. 1 zeigt anhand eines Stammbaumes für die Formicinae-Gattungen, wo überhaupt Untersuchungen des Giftes vorliegen, und für welche Zwecke es eingesetzt wird.
Neben Ameisensäure in sehr unterschiedlichen Konzentrationen enthält das Giftsekrte auch weitere Verbindungen (Tab. 1 und 2).
Tab. 3 kann man z. B. entnehmen, dass Polyrhachis dives mit ihrem Giftsekret das Nest und die Brut desinfiziert. Das erklärt, weshalb so manche Halter dieser Art über deutlichen
Ameisensäure-Geruch ihrer Formikarien berichten.

Abb. 1 aus der Publikation

MfG,
Merkur

[Teleutotje]

Dos Santos, C. D. A.; Chaul, J. C. M.; Serrão, J. E. 2025. Taxonomic contributions to Mycetomoellerius Solomon et al., 2019 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae): description of two new species and a key for the genus. Zootaxa 5569 (1):93-118.

Pdf:

https://antcat.org/references/144445

Williams, J. L.; Williams, J. F.; LaPolla, J. S.; Lucky, A. 2025. Nylanderia of the World, Part IV: Taxonomic contributions to the American Clade I of New World Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 5569 (3):549-593.

Pdf and key:

https://antcat.org/references/144446

[Merkur]

Soeben erschienen: "Waldameisenschutz" von Dieter Bretz.

Besprechung aus Ameisenschutz aktuell Dez. 2024

Hier ist sehr viel über die Deutsche Ameisenschutzwarte zu erfahren, über ihre Tätigkeit und über die Entwicklung von
Methoden zum Schutz unserer einheimischen Hügel bauenden Waldameisen.
---
Zufällig ist ein weiteres Buch über Waldameisen im Kommen: I. Arndt & J. Tautz: Waldameisen - Superheldinnen auf sechs Beinen.
Erscheint im März 2025. € 40,-

Die Verlagsankündigung

Prof. Tautz hat von 1968 bis 1873 an der Techn. Universität Darmstadt Biologie studiert, wo er mich als Dozenten kennen gelernt hat.
Ihm verdanken wir u.a. die Erkenntnisse zur Funktion des Stridulierens von Blattschneiderameisen während des Schneidens! https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00606374
MfG,
Merkur

[Teleutotje]

Integrative taxonomy uncovers a new genus and species.

https://blog.myrmecologicalnews.org/202 ... d-species/

And the article:

A new genus in a hyperdiverse ant lineage (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) revealed by integration of morphological and molecular evidence.
Fu-Ya Chung, Po-Wei Hsu, Feng-Chuan Hsu & Chung-Chi Lin.

Pdf and 3 supplements:

https://myrmecologicalnews.org/cms/inde ... Itemid=444

Abstract: Myrmicinae Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835, the largest subfamily within the Formicidae family, harbors a significant amount of undiscovered biodiversity. In this study, we describe a new genus, Unicumyrmex gen.n., represented by Unicumyrmex fushanensis gen.n. et sp.n., from the tribe Solenopsidini Forel, 1893, in Taiwan. The classification at the genus level was corroborated by various forms of evidence, including the morphology of workers and males, as well as molecular data. Morphological comparisons between U. fushanensis gen.n. et sp.n. and both morphologically similar and phylogenetically related species were conducted using detailed photography, including scanning electron microscopy. Keys to Solenopsidini workers with 11 antennal segments, as well as known Solenopsidini males from 14 genera, were provided along with discussions. For the phylogenetic reconstruction, 10 nuclear gene segments from U. fushanensis gen.n. et sp.n. were extracted from the assemblies of shotgun sequencing. The result revealed that the species clusters with morphologically distinct genera distributed in the same bioregion. In addition, pairwise genetic distances in the barcoding region of the cytochrome c oxidase I gene for U. fushanensis gen.n. et sp.n. and other myrmicine ants were calculated to further support its genus-level classification.

[Teleutotje]

In 1996 or 1997 I bougth this little book:
Skinner, G. J., Allen, G. W., 1996, “Ants.” Naturalists' Handbook, vol. 24, Slough, The Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd., ii + 83 pp.

It was reprinted by an other publisher in 2013 (don't have this print.):

The website:

https://pelagicpublishing.com/products/ ... adYspIaOrY

And now the second edition (saw it 3 days ago, tuesday, that it exsisted, ordered it two days ago, wednesday!):

The website:

https://pelagicpublishing.com/products/ ... Jk3IdsXFJI

[Teleutotje]

Just one remark. In the first edition 83 pp., now, in the second edition, 336 pp., new keys, maps, .....

[Teleutotje]

Evolution and functional implications of stinger shape in ants.
Alexandre Casadei-Ferreira, Gabriela Procópio Camacho, Thomas van de Kamp, John E Lattke, Rodrigo Machado Feitosa, Evan P Economo.

Text, pdf and 1 supplement:

https://academic.oup.com/evolut/article ... ogin=false

[Merkur]

No major difference in growth and productivity between monogynous and polygynous colonies in the ant Myrmecina graminicola. A. Taupenot, C. Doums, M. Molet. Insectes Sociaux Vol. 72, 3-15, 26 October 2024

Abstract:
In ants, which are all eusocial, social polymorphism exists in the form of a variable number of queens. The occurrence of colonies with a single queen (monogynous) or multiple queens (polygynous) within a species is found in about 15% of ant species, offering various model systems to assess the life-history differences between the two social forms. Polygynous colonies are assumed to be better competitors due to larger colony size and higher colony growth, whereas monogynous colonies are supposed to rely on a colonizer strategy as they are founded solitarily by larger winged queens that disperse by flight. The ant Myrmecina graminicola harbors a social polymorphism associated with a wing polymorphism in queens, both being determined by a different supergene with monogynous queens being mostly winged and polygynous queens being always apterous. By comparing colonies sampled in the same population, we showed that polygynous colonies with apterous queens and monogynous colonies with winged queens did not differ in the number of workers and larvae at the time of collection. Accordingly, once reared in the laboratory, these colonies produced a similar number of pupae and adults (workers or sexual individuals), probably from the larvae already present at the time of collection. However, polygynous colonies produced more eggs and new larvae in the laboratory than their monogynous counterparts. We discuss why this larger brood production of polygynous colonies was not reflected by a larger colony size in the field, and what the consequences of similar colony growth and productivity between the social forms would mean for the maintenance of genetic polymorphisms.

Da ich über mehrere Jahre an Myrmecina graminicola geforscht habe, interessiert mich diese Veröffentlichung ganz besonders! Es gibt Völker mit entflügelter Königin, die stets monogyn sind, und andere Völker mit meist mehreren intermorphen Königinnen. Meine Kreuzungsversuche haben eine genetische Grundlage für diese Unterschiede - kombiniert Intermorphe+polygyn, Gynomorphe+monogyn - aufgezeigt. Nun wird das auf ein "Supergen" zurückgeführt! Es freut mich jedenfalls sehr, dass an diesem spannenden System weiter geforscht wird. Bin gespannt auf die Veröffentlichung in Insectes Sociaux, die ich noch nicht einsehen konnte.
MfG,
Merkur

[Teleutotje]

Van der Stappen, M. 2025. The extreme, workerless inquilines of Europe. Belgium: Self-published, 118 pp.

https://antcat.org/references/144456

[Teleutotje]

Jacintho, G. de F.; Chaul, J. C. M.; Teixeira, G. A.; Barros, L. A. C.; Lopes, D. M.; Serrão, J. E. 2025. A morphological and cytogenetic study of two Fulakora Mann, 1919 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5588 (1):77-104.

Pdf with key:

https://www.antcat.org/references/144452

[Teleutotje]

Today I got my book.

A small correction:

Skinner, G. J., Jarman, A. P., 2025 “Ants.” (Updated second edition.). Naturalists’ Handbook, vol. 24, Ecology and identification, London, Pelagic Publishing, Turkey, Elma Basim, viii + 327 pp.

[Teleutotje]

Chen, C.; Yu, Y.; Yi, C. 2025. Revision of the Chinese species of the genus Brachyponera Emery, 1900 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with a key to the world species of the genus. ZooKeys 1230:247–286.

Pdf and key:

https://www.antcat.org/references/144461

Pdf, key and 1 supplemenf:

https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/140159/

[Teleutotje]

Beyond urban boundaries: the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) now reaching Iberian coastal habitats.
Javier Arcos, Elías Amorós, Ángel Rosado, Paco Alarcón.

Text and pdf:

https://contributions-to-entomology.arp ... le/142567/