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Abstract

Some ant species of the genus Monomorium Mayr occur worldwide and are considered important urban pests. The larvae of only a few species of this genus have been described, and these descriptions are either superficial or incomplete. This study aimed to determine the number of larval instars and describe the immature stages of the ant Monomorium floricola Jerdon (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Specimens were analyzed and measured using light and scanning electron microscopy. Three larval instars were found, and all larvae had pheidoloid bodies with ectatommoid mandibles, consistent with other Monomorium species described previously. Five types of body hairs were described, and their distribution was instar-specific. Body and mandible dimensions of the larvae also were constant for each instar. Like other Myrmicinae, the larvae did not create a cocoon. Some of differences among the hair types and sensilla were observed by comparing the samples with larvae of other species in the genus, and these differences may have taxonomic utility.

Keywords: larval instars, Myrmicinae, Solenopsidini, tramp species

Correspondence: ^aentomo75@yahoo.com, ^bofoxofox@gmail.com, ^canaefari@biologico.sp.gov.br, ^dmassuretti@gmail.com, ^eatyabuki@rc.unesp.br, ^fanaefari@biologico.sp.gov.br, ^godaircb@rc.unesp.br *Corresponding author

Received: 23 January 2008 | Accepted: 23 December 2008 | Published: 14 March 2010

Copyright: This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.  

ISSN: 1536-2442 | Volume 10, Number 15

Solis DR, Fox EGP, Kato LM, Jesus CM, Yabuki AT, Campos AEC, Bueno OC. 2010. Morphological description of the immatures of the ant, Monomorium floricola. 17pp. Journal of Insect Science 10:15, available online: insectscience.org/10.15