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Myrmecophily
thumb , Myrmecophilous aphids being tended by ants Myrmecophily ( , ) consists of positive, mutualistic, interspecies associations between ants and a variety of other organisms, such as plants, other arthropods, and fungi. It may also include commensal or even parasitic interactions. A "myrmecophile" is an animal that associates with ants. An estimated 10,000 species of ants (Formicidae) are known, with a higher diversity in the tropics. In most terrestrial ecosystems, ants are ecologically and numerically dominant, being the main invertebrate predators. As a result, ants play a key role in controlling arthropod richness, abundance, and community structure. Some evidence shows that the evolution of myrmecophilous interactions has contributed to the abundance and ecological success of ants, by ensuring a dependable and energy-rich food supply, thus providing a competitive advantage for ants over other invertebrate predators. Most myrmecophilous associations are opportunistic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ant Mimicry
Ant mimicry or myrmecomorphy is mimicry of ants by other organisms; it has evolved over 70 times. Ants are abundant all over the world, and potential predators that rely on vision to identify their prey, such as birds and wasps, normally avoid them, because they are either unpalatable or aggressive. Some arthropods mimic ants to escape predation ( Batesian mimicry), while some predators of ants, especially spiders, mimic them anatomically and behaviourally in aggressive mimicry. Ant mimicry has existed almost as long as ants themselves; the earliest ant mimics in the fossil record appear in the mid-Cretaceous alongside the earliest ants. In myrmecophily, mimic and model live commensally together; in the case of ants, the mimic is an inquiline in the ants' nest. Such mimics may in addition be Batesian or aggressive mimics. To overcome ants' powerful defences, mimics may imitate ants chemically with ant-like pheromones, visually, or by imitating an ant's surface microstructure ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myrmecophily In Staphylinidae
Many species of Staphylinidae (commonly known as "rove beetles") have developed complex interspecies relationships with ants, known as myrmecophily. Rove beetles are among the most rich and diverse families of myrmecophilous beetles, with a wide variety of relationships with ants. Ant associations range from near free-living species which prey only on ants, to obligate inquilines of ants, which exhibit extreme morphological and chemical adaptations to the harsh environments of ant nests. Some species are fully integrated into the host colony, and are cleaned and fed by ants. Many of these, including species in tribe Clavigerini, are myrmecophagous, placating their hosts with glandular secretions while eating the brood. Taxonomy Staphylinidae is currently considered to be the largest family of beetles, with over 58,000 species described. As such, many myrmecophilous species are unknown. The majority of studied myrmecophilous rove beetles belong to the subfamily Aleocharinae, includ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myrmecophilus Acervorum
''Myrmecophilus acervorum'' is an orthopteran insect belonging to the family Myrmecophilidae (the ant-loving crickets). This continental European species is probably the most widespread and most frequently encountered member of this rather obscure family found in Europe. It is also by far the smallest orthopteran found in Western Europe, with its total adult length never exceeding . As with other members of the family, this insect lives its whole lifecycle as an inquiline within ants' nests. ''M. acervorum'' lives with ants (myrmecophily) of more than 20 species. This specialized way of life has led this insect to evolve many morphological differences compared to other orthopterans, including complete absence of wings (as they never leave their host nest) and hearing organs (as they no longer use stridulation), and much reduced eyesight, as well as their very small size. These tiny insects are dark brown with paler bands and prominent cerci, which serve as their primary senso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coccinellidae
Coccinellidae () is a widespread family (biology), family of small beetles. They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in the United Kingdom; "lady" refers to Mary, mother of Jesus, mother Mary. Entomologists use the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles to avoid confusion with true bugs. The more than 6,000 described species have a global distribution and are found in a variety of habitats. They are oval beetles with a domed back and flat underside. Many of the species have conspicuous aposematic (warning) colours and patterns, such as red with black spots, that warn potential predators that they taste bad. Most coccinellid species are carnivorous predators, preying on insects such as aphids and scale insects. Other species are known to consume non-animal matter, including plants and fungi. They are Promiscuity#Other animals, promiscuous breeders, reproducing in spring and summer in temperate regions and during the wet season in tropical regions. M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ladybird
Coccinellidae () is a widespread family of small beetles. They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in the United Kingdom; "lady" refers to mother Mary. Entomologists use the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles to avoid confusion with true bugs. The more than 6,000 described species have a global distribution and are found in a variety of habitats. They are oval beetles with a domed back and flat underside. Many of the species have conspicuous aposematic (warning) colours and patterns, such as red with black spots, that warn potential predators that they taste bad. Most coccinellid species are carnivorous predators, preying on insects such as aphids and scale insects. Other species are known to consume non-animal matter, including plants and fungi. They are promiscuous breeders, reproducing in spring and summer in temperate regions and during the wet season in tropical regions. Many predatory species lay their eggs near colonies of prey, providi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Histeridae
Histeridae is a family (biology), family of beetles commonly known as clown beetles or hister beetles. There are more than 410 genera and 4,800 described species in Histeridae worldwide, with more than 500 species in North America. They can be identified by their shortened elytra, which leave two tergites exposed, and also by their elbowed Antenna (biology), antennae with clubbed ends. These predatory feeders are most active at night and will fake death if threatened. Hister beetles occupy almost any kind of Ecological niche, niche throughout the world. They have also been useful for estimation of time of death during forensic investigations. Also, certain species are used for controlling houseflies and livestock pests that infest Feces, dung. Etymology Histeridae was first named by Leonard Gyllenhaal. Histeridae has two common names, the clown beetle and the hister beetle. There have been several theories which explain the origin of these names.Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Lawrence ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cricket (insect)
Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to Tettigoniidae, bush crickets and more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Augustus Daniel Imms, Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 886 pp. "crickets" were placed at the family level (''i.e.'' Gryllidae), but contemporary authorities including Dan Otte, Otte now place them in the superfamily Grylloidea. The word has been used in combination to describe more distantly related taxa in the suborder Ensifera, such as Stenopelmatoidea, king crickets and mole crickets. Crickets have mainly cylindrically shaped bodies, round heads, and long antenna (biology), antennae. Behind the head is a smooth, robust pronotum. The abdomen ends in a pair of long Cercus, cerci; females have a long, cylindrical ovipositor. Diagnostic features include legs with 3-segmented Arthropod leg#Tarsus, tarsi; as with many Orthoptera, the hind legs have enlarged femora ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orthoptera
Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – grasshoppers, locusts, and close relatives; and Ensifera – crickets and close relatives. More than 20,000 species are distributed worldwide. The insects in the order have incomplete metamorphosis, and produce sound (known as a " stridulation") by rubbing their wings against each other or their legs, the wings or legs containing rows of corrugated bumps. The tympanum, or ear, is located in the front tibia in crickets, mole crickets, and bush crickets or katydids, and on the first abdominal segment in the grasshoppers and locusts. These organisms use vibrations to locate other individuals. Grasshoppers and other orthopterans are able to fold their wings (i.e. they are members of Neoptera). Etymology The name is derived from the Gree ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chemical Mimicry
Chemical mimicry (or molecular mimicry) is a type of biological mimicry involving the use of chemicals to dupe an operator. A chemical mimic dupes an operator (e.g. a predator) by showing an adaptive chemical resemblance to an object of its environment and as a consequence receives selective advantage. In all cases of chemical mimicry it has been found that the mimicking species is the only species to benefit from the reaction with either costs or no effect on the duped species. This is by adapting to produce chemicals (ex: allomones, pheromones, Odor, odours, etc.) that will cause a desirable behavioural reaction in the species being deceived and a selective advantage to the mimic, as in ant mimicry. Chemical mimicry exists within many of the different forms of mimicry such as Aggressive mimicry, aggressive, protective, Batesian mimicry , Batesian, and Müllerian mimicry and can involve a number of different senses. Mimicking semiochemicals make up some of the most widely use ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tijdschrift Voor Entomologie
The ''Tijdschrift voor Entomologie'' (English: ''Journal of Entomology'') was a triannual peer-reviewed scientific journal covering systematic and evolutionary entomology. It was published by Brill Publishers on behalf of the Netherlands Entomological Society, and the editor-in-chief is Hendrik Freitag ( Ateneo de Manila University. Originally published in Dutch, the journal was later published in English only. In 2025, the board of the Netherlands Entomological Society decided to discontinue the journal. Abstracting and indexing The journal is abstracted and indexed in: *Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts *Biological Abstracts *BIOSIS Previews *CAB Abstracts * EBSCO databases *Scopus *The Zoological Record ''The Zoological Record'' (''ZR'') is an electronic index of zoological literature that also serves as the unofficial register of scientific names in zoology. It was started as a print publication in 1864 by the Zoological Society of London, ... References Exter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microdon
Hover flies (family Syrphidae) of the genus ''Microdon'' are unusual among the Fly, Diptera. Like other members of the subfamily, they are myrmecophiles, meaning they inhabit the nests of ants. There are 249 species known worldwide, with the greatest diversity being from the tropics; 30 species are known from North America, though it is expected that many of these species will be placed in other genera in time, as ''Microdon'' has been used as a catch-all for various unrelated species not placed in other genera. Appearance ''Microdon'' adults look more or less like typical flies. Like some other hoverflies, they are generally robust and very hairy, often closely resembling bees. They are between 8 and 15 mm long. The Antenna (biology), antennae are rather long, with the last (third) segment nearly as long as, or sometimes significantly longer than, the first segment; the antennae are nearly as long as the fly's face. These flies are covered in black or pale (white or golden ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
