33:
309:
525:, on the other hand, cannot afford such a risk with colonies of only 100-200 individuals; an organ reducing the damage of LHF would be highly selected for in such a species. It also allows for the synchronization and cyclical nature of brood development. The absence of trophic eggs, the cost of cannibalism, the specialized predation of sporadic prey, the cyclical and synchronous colony maturation, and the reduced cost of LHF via the “larval hemolymph tap” have all allowed for LHF to become one of this genus’ main feeding habits.
465:
pile, with the colony occasionally moving towards the prey as well to meet somewhere in the middle. A few times, however, researchers observed the colony move entirely to the prey site without moving the centipede. During such migrations, workers attached to the larvae's prothoracic structures to carry them to the paralyzed prey. As previously described, the larvae's body and mandible shape make for easy feeding. They rip away the outer tissue, and the workers eat from the holes the larvae make.
498:, lying on her side and placing her lower mouthparts on the body. She turns the body around, feeling with her mandibles until she finds the “larval hemolymph tap” in the fourth abdominal segment. The lack of lapping movements of the queen's mouthparts and the lack of larval muscles along the duct organ suggest that the hemolymph is ingested via the queen's effort. Hemolymph flow would cease by itself when the queen released the larva or by the hemolymph congealing at the opening.
54:
360:
When migrating either to prey or a new nest site, workers attach their lower mouthparts to the larvae's prothoracic structure and carry them along their body, ventral side to ventral side, with the larva's head pointing forwards. When agitated, however, workers will also simply grab the larva behind
460:
secretion from their sternal side, though travel is disorganized and mostly individual. While roughly half of the workers hunts, the other half engages in grooming, larval care, or stands as guards at the edges of the brood pile. The guard ants almost always assume the same position: they face the
464:
The other half of the workers is occupied with finding, attacking, and paralyzing the species main, if not only, prey, geophilomorph centipedes. Sufficient paralysis can be accomplished with a small number of ants within 10–15 minutes. Most of the time, the workers pull the centipede to the brood
383:
with wings, albeit rather small wings. One wing actually consists of two parts: the forewing is larger and has veins; the hindwing is much smaller with no veins. Their mandibles are also different from the females’; whereas the workers and queens mandibles are prominent and mobile, the males’
521:, but those genera have much larger populations, ranging from 60,000 to 20,000,000 workers per colony. With so many individuals at the queen's disposal, severely damaging the larvae she feeds on would have a negligible negative impact on her reproductive fitness. The queens of
384:
mandibles are little more than small lobes held close to their head. Male ants of this species have been difficult to find in conjunction with workers and queens, and thus their behavior has not been observed and recorded as extensively as that of the females.
356:
Colonies are very small, with average worker populations numbering only 100-200 individuals. Research suggests that, based on the ant's cyclical development and reproduction, worker populations are renewed annually, with most workers living for about one year.
399:, yearly cycles of a larval-growing stage and an egg-laying stage. The active egg-laying stage starts in late spring and ends in late fall. In a very short period in midsummer, the queen lays a batch of roughly 200 eggs while last year's hatch of larvae
316:
Larvae are smaller, closer to 0.8 mm, with specialized features used in feeding and nest migration. They have relatively large bodies covered in minute hairs and their hairless heads are quite small, a characteristic called
486:
eats only via larval hemolymph feeding. During the egg-laying stage and physogastry, her rate of LHF doubles. She moves around grabbing all of the larvae in her path, with workers carrying additional larvae to her.
429:
Very soon after physogastry begins, the queen starts laying eggs in a continuous string, with the occasional help of nearby workers. They grab the eggs with their mandibles and gently pull them away from her
325:
also developed to help them feed; they are directed outwards and armed with sharp teeth, enabling the larvae to eat without assistance from the workers. Another unusual structure lies on the
441:
and migrating to focus on caring for the nest. Workers help larvae get rid of their digestive tracts, a process necessary for pupation, and occasionally eat their feces. They also help them
468:
Predation is active during the larval-growing stage, but stops during the egg-laying stage along with migration. The main source of nutrition during this stage is the larvae themselves.
426:
and grows up to 1.1 mm in diameter. In spite of their size, queens at this stage are very mobile, in contrast to their near motionlessness during the larval-growing stage.
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418:
The queen's gaster remains contracted for all of the larval-developing stage, reaching no greater than 0.35 mm in diameter. At the onset of spring, she enters
916:
305:
is subterranean, migratory, and a very small ant, measuring only 1.2 mm for workers and 1.8 mm for queens. Workers are yellow and blind.
955:
337:; workers grab on to this with their lower mouthparts, which are distinct from their mandibles, when transporting larvae during migration. The “
509:
workers, however, do not have ovarioles and thus do not have that option. Because it has never been observed, mouth-to-mouth feeding, or oral
461:
outside with their anterior end lifted, their forelegs raised, and their mandibles open. Should anything come close, they quickly charge it.
379:
Males measure roughly 1.3 mm in size, only a little bigger than the workers, and are unusual in having hairy eyes. They are the only
353:, with an opening surrounded by a small hairless area on the fourth abdominal segment. This specialized organ greatly facilitates LHF.
1006:
422:, a phase in which her gaster greatly expands, while the first few larvae show signs of pupation. Her gaster swells with egg-filled
291:, the subfamily of Old World driver ants. They were raised to subfamily status upon further examination of their unusual larval
960:
365:
326:
322:
53:
308:
32:
312:
The larva's stenocephalic head with the elaborate prothoracic structure below the mandibles and other mouthparts.
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244:(LHF), with the queen using no other form of sustenance. LHF is an advantageous alternative to the more costly
241:
881:
373:
330:
437:
This is only one of many of the workers’ jobs during the egg-laying stage. During this time, workers cease
1001:
996:
843:
338:
501:
LHF evolved as a less costly form of last-resort nutrition than cannibalism. Many ant species engage in
346:
245:
148:
219:, a less reliable food source that also contributes to their high rate of nest migration. Like ants of
903:
800:
563:
292:
196:
of only a few hundred individuals at a time (as compared to the 60,000 to 20,000,000 individuals of
349:. Their spiracles are simply very, very small. The “tap” consists of a duct that connects to their
318:
260:
a specialized organ dubbed the “larval hemolymph tap” that reduces the damage LHF inflicts on the
48:
947:
321:; this feature evolved to help large groups of larvae feed on one centipede body at once Their
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890:
824:
816:
779:
Masuko, Keiichi (2008). "Larval stenocephaly related to specialized feeding in the ant genera
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713:
663:
579:
491:
973:
808:
751:
705:
655:
571:
554:, and a description of a new species from Taiwan (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptanillinae)".
277:
201:
696:
by use of a specialized duct organ, the "larval hemolymph tap" (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)".
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380:
284:
804:
567:
575:
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280:
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colonies.) Its sexual development follows a seasonal cycle that affects the colony's
895:
510:
283:
along with about 30 other known species. Leptanillines were once classified as a
929:
875:
502:
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The physicality of the queen's LHF follows. She strokes a mature larva with her
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230:
105:
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812:
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consumption in which the workers have sterile eggs that the ants can feed on.
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546:
Ogata, Kazuo; Terayama, Mamoru; Masuko, Keiichi (1995). "The ant genus
369:
431:
185:
95:
75:
837:
411:
also occur around the same time. The new larvae develop quickly and
740:, With Notes on the Genus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptanillinae)"
639:
364:
Queens are larger than workers; they have eyes, but no wings. The
307:
261:
220:
181:
400:
908:
841:
345:
larvae's most unusual feature and was formerly thought to be a
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115:
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during the winter. Late spring comes and the cycle repeats.
376:, is very large in proportion to the rest of their bodies.
513:, is thought to be absent from this genus. LHF is seen in
692:
Masuko, K. (1989). "Larval hemolymph feeding in the ant
644:
Baroni Urbani (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptanillinae)"
264:. LHF has become this species' main form of nutrition.
192:
reaching to about 1.8 mm, and live in very small
329:
or bottom side of the first segment of the larvae's
850:
188:, with workers measuring about 1.2 mm and
734:Wheeler, George C.; Wheeler, Jeanette (1988).
407:to change from larvae to adults; hatching and
176:is an uncommon highly migratory, subterranean
550:: discovery of the worker-associated male of
361:the head with their mandibles and drag them.
8:
456:navigate using a trail system marked with a
248:. Unlike any other ant, however, members of
640:"Behavior and ecology of the enigmatic ant
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31:
20:
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793:Arthropod Structure & Development
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7:
204:and feeding habits, and vice versa.
698:Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
576:10.1111/j.1365-3113.1995.tb00081.x
14:
212:, with prey consisting mainly of
52:
744:Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
449:Migration and food cultivation
1:
791:(Hymenoptera: Formicidae)".
388:Development and reproduction
395:develops and reproduces in
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298:Morphology and description
1007:Insects described in 1977
813:10.1016/j.asd.2007.08.001
368:or last segment of their
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147:
49:Scientific classification
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39:
30:
23:
478:larval hemolymph feeding
472:Larval hemolymph feeding
242:larval hemolymph feeding
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556:Systematic Entomology
311:
208:exhibits specialized
372:, also called their
339:larval hemolymph tap
333:, also called their
882:Leptanilla japonica
852:Leptanilla japonica
805:2008ArtSD..37..109M
738:Leptanilla japonica
694:Leptanilla japonica
642:Leptanilla japonica
638:Masuko, K. (1990).
568:1995SysEn..20...27O
454:Leptanilla japonica
445:their larval skin.
393:Leptanilla japonica
303:Leptanilla japonica
173:Leptanilla japonica
164:Baroni Urbani, 1977
158:Leptanilla japonica
41:Leptanilla japonica
25:Leptanilla japonica
757:10.1155/1988/83074
710:10.1007/BF00299644
660:10.1007/BF02223813
314:
984:
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969:Open Tree of Life
844:Taxon identifiers
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750:(3–4): 185–189.
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648:Insectes Sociaux
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184:. They are tiny
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799:(2): 109–117.
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736:"The Larva of
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704:(2): 127–132.
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214:geophilomorph
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198:legionary ant
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149:Binomial name
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654:(1): 31–57.
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562:(1): 27–34.
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511:trophallaxis
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319:stenocephaly
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930:iNaturalist
876:Wikispecies
552:L. japonica
519:Proceratium
503:trophic egg
484:L. japonica
420:physogastry
397:synchronous
254:L. japonica
246:cannibalism
240:engages in
231:Proceratium
206:L. japonica
106:Hymenoptera
43:worker ant
991:Categories
785:Leptanilla
781:Amblyopone
548:Leptanilla
529:References
523:Leptanilla
515:Amblyopone
507:Leptanilla
343:Leptanilla
293:morphology
274:Leptanilla
272:The genus
250:Leptanilla
237:Leptanilla
225:Amblyopone
217:centipedes
127:Leptanilla
116:Formicidae
86:Arthropoda
821:1467-8039
789:Myrmecina
766:0033-2615
718:0340-5443
668:0020-1812
584:0307-6970
424:ovarioles
413:hibernate
366:posterior
351:hemolymph
341:” is the
335:prothorax
323:mandibles
289:Dorylinae
278:subfamily
210:predation
202:migration
180:found in
134:Species:
72:Kingdom:
66:Eukaryota
948:10216709
867:Q5499889
861:Wikidata
829:18089131
496:six legs
492:antennae
439:foraging
347:spiracle
268:Taxonomy
194:colonies
112:Family:
82:Phylum:
76:Animalia
62:Domain:
974:4538550
935:1232750
922:1325719
801:Bibcode
564:Bibcode
370:abdomen
327:ventral
258:evolved
256:, have
186:insects
122:Genus:
102:Order:
96:Insecta
92:Class:
961:578148
909:503075
827:
819:
764:
716:
666:
582:
432:cloaca
401:pupate
374:gaster
331:thorax
262:larvae
221:genera
190:queens
943:IRMNG
896:3THMV
458:gland
381:caste
285:tribe
182:Japan
956:ITIS
917:GBIF
825:PMID
817:ISSN
787:and
762:ISSN
714:ISSN
664:ISSN
580:ISSN
517:and
443:shed
228:and
904:EoL
891:CoL
809:doi
752:doi
706:doi
656:doi
572:doi
287:of
178:ant
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