TY  - JOUR
AU  - Boudinot, B.E.
AU  - Wachkoo, A.A.
AU  - Bharti, H.
T1  - The first ergatoid male of Platythyrea (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), with contribution to colony labor suggested by observation and comparative morphology
JF  - Myrmecological News
Y1  - 2016
DA  - 2016
PB  - The Austrian Society of Entomofaunistics
SN  - Print: 1994-4136 - Online: 1997-3500
N1  - 10.25849/myrmecol.news_022:059
DO  - 10.25849/myrmecol.news_022:059
SP  - 59-64
KW  - Taxonomy, lectotype designation, morphology, colony life cycle, convergent evolution, winglessness.
AB  - The first ergatoid male for the ant genus Platythyrea is discovered and described. The male of P. sagei Forel, 1900, in addition to being apterous, is unique among Platythyrea species for bearing elongate scapes. In the field, males of P. sagei were observed leaving and returning to a nest with workers, some with debris in their mandibles. The male morphology of P. sagei is contrasted with the worker and with female / male sets for eight Platythyrea species. Although based on limited observation, a role in colonial labor for the ergatoid males is supported by the elongate scapes, anteroposteriorly long pronotum, and robust scapes. A lectotype of Platythyrea sagei is designated.
JA  - Myrmecological News
M3  - Original Article
VL  - 22