Comparative larval ultramorphology of some myrmecophilous Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), with a first description of the larvae of Amidobia talpa (Heer O, 1841) and Oxypoda haemorrhoa (Mannerheim C.G., 1830), associated with the Formica rufa species group

By

Staniec, Bernard
Zagaja, Mirosław
Pietrykowska-Tudruj, Ewa
Wagner, Grzegorz

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2018

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

808

Pages

93-114

Subjects

Aleocharines , Coleoptera , developmental stages , ecological preferences , external structure , larva , late larval instars , Morphology , myrmecophile , Red wood ants , Rove beetles , Symbionts

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.808.29818

 

Abstract

The paper describes the external structures of the late larval stages of two Palearctic myrmecophilous staphylinids:AmidobiatalpaandOxypodahaemorrhoaassociated with theFormicarufaspecies group. This is the first-ever description of the larva ofAmidobia, and the only complete, detailed account of the morphology of this developmental stage in the genusOxypodacurrently available. For the first time in these two genera, 13 and 10 larval diagnostic features, respectively, are proposed. Morphological differences have been established between known and the newly described larvae of five species (genera) of myrmecophilous and one non-myrmecophilous Aleocharinae, belonging to three tribes.AmidobiatalpaandO.haemorrhoaare probably typical, tiny predators, like most other Aleocharinae, including non-myrmecophilous ones. Being very small and highly mobile, they are ignored by worker ants. Not surprisingly, no particular larval morphological modifications were found to enable them to survive among ants. Such features have, however, evolved in the larvae of larger aleocharines, that is, those that are perceived by ants and are wholly integrated with their hosts in the ant nest (e.g.Lomechusa). This comparative analysis of the functional morphology of the larvae of known myrmecophilous Aleocharinae is a springboard to further such studies of these interesting insects.