Myrmeconema neotropicum (lat.) Is a type of parasitic entomopathogenic nematodes of the genus Myrmeconema from the family Tetradonematidae of the order Mermithida . The only currently known host species is the neotropical ant Cephalotes atratus ( South America ), which normally has a black abdominal coloration. After infection, the abdomen reddens, resembling a small reddish berry growing in the lower forest floor. Such a bright view attracts birds that are supposedly pecking sick ants (so far it has not been possible to observe this process). Nematode eggs, which come out together with bird excrements, are then collected by ants and the development cycle is repeated. The females of Myrmeconema neotropicum have a length of about 1000 μm (~ 1 mm) and a maximum width of up to 112 μm. Males are smaller than females (680 μm in length and 97 μm in diameter) [1] [2] .
| Myrmeconema neotropicum | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 The ant Cephalotes atratus , infected with the nematode Myrmeconema neotropicum , raises a reddened abdomen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Myrmeconema neotropicum Poinar & Yanoviak, 2008 [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
- Formicitylenchus oregonensis
- Seuratidae
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Poinar, George; Stephen P. Yanoviak. Myrmeconema neotropicum ng, n sp, a new tetradone nematode parasitizing South American populations of cephalotes atratus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with the discovery of parasite – induced host morph (Eng.) // Systematic Parasitology: journal. - 2008. - February ( vol. 69 , no. 2 ). - P. 145-153 . - DOI : 10.1007 / s11230-007-9125-3 . - PMID 18038201 .
- ↑ Sanders, Robert . Ant parasite turns into red berry biologists , UC Berkeley NewsCenter (January 16, 2008).
Literature
- Poinar, George. Nematode Parasites and Associates of Ants: Past and Present (Eng.) // Psyche . - 2012. - Vol. 2012 , no. ID 192017 . - P. 1-13 . doi: 10.1155 / 2012/192017
- Poinar, George; Stephen P. Yanoviak. Myrmeconema neotropicum ng, n sp, a new tetradone nematode parasitizing South American populations of cephalotes atratus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with the discovery of parasite – induced host morph (Eng.) // Systematic Parasitology: journal. - 2008. - February ( vol. 69 , no. 2 ). - P. 145-153 . - DOI : 10.1007 / s11230-007-9125-3 . - PMID 18038201 .
- Sanders, Robert . Ant parasite turns into red berry biologists , UC Berkeley NewsCenter (January 16, 2008).
- Yanoviak, SP, M. Kaspari, R. Dudley, G. Poinar Jr. 2008. Parasite-induced fruit mimicry in tropical canopy ant. The American Naturalist 171: 4, 536-544.