A never-ending story: updated 3D cyber-taxonomic revision of the ant genus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) for the Afrotropical region.

The ant genus are fascinating ants due to their distinctive morphology, ecology, and rarity. In this study, a comprehensive revision of in the Afrotropical region is presented, through a combination of morphological examination under the light microscope and three-dimensional (3D) cyber-taxonomy based on microtomography (micro-CT). Micro-CT based 3D surface models of all species were used for virtual morphological visualisation and examination.

Evolution of odorant receptor repertoires across Hymenoptera is not linked to the evolution of eusociality.

Communication is essential for social organisms. In eusocial insects, olfaction facilitates communication and recognition between nestmates. The study of certain model organisms has led to the hypothesis that odorant receptors are expanded in eusocial Hymenoptera.

Breakdown in seasonal dynamics of subtropical ant communities with land-cover change.

Concerns about widespread human-induced declines in insect populations are mounting, yet little is known about how land-use change modifies both the trends and variability of insect communities, particularly in understudied regions. Here, we examine how the seasonal activity patterns of ants-key drivers of terrestrial ecosystem functioning-vary with anthropogenic land-cover change on a subtropical island landscape, and whether differences in temperature or species composition can explain observed patterns. Using trap captures sampled biweekly over 2 years from a biodiversity monitoring network covering Okinawa Island, Japan, we processed 1.

 sp. nov.: a new addition from Ivory Coast to the Afrotropical species group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae).

In this study the taxonomy of the species group is updated for the Afrotropical region and the new species described. It is integrated into the existing taxonomic system by an updated identification key for the whole group and an update of the known distribution ranges of its members. High quality focus stacking images are provided, with X-ray micro-CT scanned digital 3D representations, of major and minor worker type specimens.

(Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Arabian Peninsula with description of two new species, sp. n. and sp. n.

We present a revised and updated synoptic list of 44 Arabian species, including two new species of the species-group: , and We propose the following new synonyms: André (= Collingwood & Agosti ; Santschi (= Collingwood & Agosti , Collingwood & Agosti Collingwood & Agosti ; Emery (= Santschi ; Collingwood & Agosti (= Collingwood & Agosti ; Emery (= Collingwood & Agosti ; and Emery (= Collingwood & Agosti ). An illustrated key and distribution maps are presented for the treated species. Ecological and biological notes are given when available.

Ants of the Hengduan Mountains: a new altitudinal survey and updated checklist for Yunnan Province highlight an understudied insect biodiversity hotspot.

China's Hengduan Mountain region has been considered one of the most diverse regions in the northern hemisphere. Its stunning topography with many deep valleys and impassable mountain barriers has promoted an astonishing diversification in many groups of organisms including plants, birds, mammals, and amphibians. However, the insect biodiversity in this region is still poorly known.

Colonize, radiate, decline: Unraveling the dynamics of island community assembly with Fijian trap-jaw ants.

The study of island community assembly has been fertile ground for developing and testing theoretical ideas in ecology and evolution. The ecoevolutionary trajectory of lineages after colonization has been a particular interest, as this is a key component of understanding community assembly. In this system, existing ideas, such as the taxon cycle, posit that lineages pass through a regular sequence of ecoevolutionary changes after colonization, with lineages shifting toward reduced dispersal ability, increased ecological specialization, and declines in abundance.

Review of the Arabian Lund (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), synoptic list, distribution, and description of two new species from Oman and Saudi Arabia.

The genus is one of the most species-rich and widespread groups of ants. Despite their often-high local abundance and important ecological interactions, the taxonomy of the genus is fragmentary and in great need of modern revisionary studies. As a first step towards a revision for the Arabian fauna of , a review of all known species with synoptic species accounts is provided.

Taxonomy of Arabian Temnothorax Mayr (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) with description of a new species enhanced by x-ray microtomography.

Temnothorax elmenshawyi sp. n., a new ant species from the Asir Mountains of the southwestern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is described based on the worker caste.

The cephalic anatomy of workers of the ant species Wasmannia affinis (Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta) and its evolutionary implications.

Despite the ecological significance of ants and the intensive research attention they have received, thorough treatments of the anatomy and functional morphology are still scarce. In this study we document the head morphology of workers of the myrmicine Wasmannia affinis with optical microscopy, μ-computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, and 3D reconstruction, providing the first complete anatomical treatment of an ant head with a broad array of modern techniques. We discuss the potential of the applied methods to generate detailed and well-documented morphological data sets with increased efficiency.

Skeletomuscular adaptations of head and legs of ants for tunnelling through living wood.

Background: While thousands of ant species are arboreal, very few are able to chew and tunnel through living wood. Ants of the genus (subfamily Myrmicinae) inhabit tunnel systems excavated under the bark of living trees, where they keep large numbers of symbiotic armoured scale insects (family Diaspididae). Construction of these tunnels by chewing through healthy wood requires tremendous power, but the adaptations that give these abilities are unclear.

Systematics of the ant genus Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Proceratiinae) in China - with descriptions of three new species based on micro-CT enhanced next-generation-morphology.

The genus Roger, 1863 contains cryptic, subterranean ants that are seldom sampled and rare in natural history collections. Furthermore, most specimens are extremely hairy and, due to their enlarged and curved gaster, often mounted suboptimally. As a consequence, the poorly observable physical characteristics of the material and its scarcity result in a rather challenging alpha taxonomy of this group.

Ants of the species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species from southwestern Saudi Arabia.

We revise the taxonomy of the myrmicine ants of the species-group for the Arabian Peninsula. Six species are recognized:  Collingwood & Agosti, 1996,  André, 1881,  Forel, 1894, .  Bolton, 1987, sp.

Next-generation morphological character discovery and evaluation: an X-ray micro-CT enhanced revision of the ant genus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) in the Afrotropics.

New technologies for imaging and analysis of morphological characters offer opportunities to enhance revisionary taxonomy and better integrate it with the rest of biology. In this study, we revise the Afrotropical fauna of the ant genus Wheeler, and use high-resolution X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) to analyse a number of morphological characters of taxonomic and biological interest. We recognise and describe three new species: , , and The species delimitations are based on the morphological examination of all physical specimens in combination with 3D scans and volume reconstructions.

Taxonomic overview of the hyperdiverse ant genus Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in India with descriptions and X-ray microtomography of two new species from the Andaman Islands.

With 600 described species, the ant genus represents one of the most species-rich ant radiations. However, much work remains to fully document the hyperdiversity of this remarkable group. , while globally distributed, is thought to have originated in the Afrotropics and is particularly diverse in the Old World.

X-Ray microtomography for ant taxonomy: An exploration and case study with two new Terataner (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) species from Madagascar.

We explore the potential of x-ray micro computed tomography (μCT) for the field of ant taxonomy by using it to enhance the descriptions of two remarkable new species of the ant genus Terataner: T. balrog sp. n.

Two new phragmotic ant species from Africa: morphology and next-generation sequencing solve a caste association problem in the genus Carebara Westwood.

Phragmotic or "door head" ants have evolved independently in several ant genera across the world, but in Africa only one case has been documented until now. Carebara elmenteitae (Patrizi) is known from only a single phragmotic major worker collected from sifted leaf-litter near Lake Elmenteita in Kenya, but here the worker castes of two species collected from Kakamega Forest, a small rainforest in Western Kenya, are studied. Phragmotic major workers were previously identified as Carebara elmenteitae and non-phragmotic major and minor workers were assigned to Carebara thoracica (Weber).

Taxonomy of the hyper-diverse ant genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Malagasy region (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) - first record of the T.setigerum species group and additions to the Malagasy species groups with an updated illustrated identification key.

In this study we provide an update to the taxonomy of the ant genus Tetramorium Mayr in Madagascar. We report the first record of the Tetramoriumsetigerum species group in Madagascar and describe the only Malagasy representative as Tetramoriumcavernicola sp. n.

New records of ant species from Yunnan, China.

As with many other regions of the world, significant collecting, curation, and taxonomic efforts will be needed to complete the inventory of China's ant fauna. This is especially true for the highly diverse tropical regions in the south of the country, where moist tropical forests harbor high species richness typical of the Southeast Asian region. We inventoried ants in the Xingshuangbanna prefecture, Yunnan, in June 2013, using a variety of methods including Winkler extraction and hand collection to sample ant diversity.

Revision of the ant genus Proceratium Roger (Hymenoptera, Proceratiinae) in Fiji.

The Fiji archipelago harbours a surprisingly diverse and endemic ant fauna, despite its isolated and remote location in the South Pacific. The ant genus Proceratium is present on Fiji with three endemic species, of which Proceratiumoceanicum De Andrade, 2003 and Proceratiumrelictum Mann, 1921 were previously known. In this study we describe the third species: Proceratiumvinaka sp.

Taxonomy of the ant genus Proceratium Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Afrotropical region with a revision of the P.arnoldi clade and description of four new species.

The taxonomy of the genus Proceratium Roger is updated for the Afrotropical region. We give an overview of the genus in the region, provide an illustrated identification key to the three clades (Proceratiumarnoldi, Proceratiumstictum and Proceratiumtoschii clades) and revise the Proceratiumarnoldi clade. Four new species from the Proceratiumarnoldi clade are described as new: Proceratiumsokoke sp.

The hyper-diverse ant genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Malagasy region taxonomic revision of the T. naganum, T. plesiarum, T. schaufussii, and T. severini species groups.

The taxonomy of the Tetramorium naganum, T. plesiarum, T. schaufussii, and T.

The ant genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Afrotropical region (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae): synonymisation of Decamorium Forel under Tetramorium, and taxonomic revision of the T. decem species group.

In this study we synonymise the genus Decamorium Forel under Tetramorium Mayr, revise the new T. decem species group by providing a diagnosis of the group, an illustrated identification key to species level, and worker-based species descriptions for all five species, which include diagnoses, discussions, images, and distribution maps. The following species are revised in this study: T.