A Descriptive Morphology of the Ant Genus Procryptocerus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Morphology is the most direct approach biologists have to recognize uniqueness of insect species as compared to close relatives. Ants of the genus Procryptocerus possess important morphologic characters yet have not been explored for use in a taxonomic revision. The genus is characterized by the protrusion of the clypeus forming a broad nasus and antennal scrobes over the eyes. The toruli are located right posterior to the flanks of the nasus opposite to each other. The vertex is deflexed posteriorly in most species. An in-group comparison of the external morphology is presented focusing on the workers. A general morphology for gynes and males is also presented. Previously mentioned characters as well as new ones are presented, and their character states in different species are clarified. For the metasoma a new system of ant metasomal somite nomenclature is presented that is applicable to Aculeata in general. Finally, a Glossary of morphological terms is offered for the genus (available online). Most of the terminology can be used in other members of the Formicidae and Aculeata

Student Misconceptions in an Introductory Logic Design Course

In order to improve student learning, instructors should identify concepts that are difficult for students to understand. Instructors can then change course material or teaching methods to focus on these difficult concepts. Researchers can develop assessment tools based on common student misconceptions to measure the effects of pedagogical changes. This paper describes the results of interviews with students who took an introductory logic design course in the Spring or Summer of 2005 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. These interviews revealed many common misconceptions students have after completing a sophomore-level course on logic design. This paper also describes the results of an assessment test based on the interviews and administered to students taking an introduction to logic design course at the end of the Fall semester of 2005 at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.published or submitted for publicatio

Crematogaster pygmaea (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), a highly polygynous and polydomous Crematogaster from northeastern Brazil

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Biologia de Crematogaster pygmaea, uma espécie altamente poligínica da região nordeste

info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Diversidad de especies de hormigas en un gradiente de cafetales org?nicos y convencionales

4 ilus. 7 tab. 16 ref.Se caracteriz? la diversidad de especies de hormigas presentes en un gradiente de seis sistemas agroforestales de caf?, desde totalmente org?nicos hasta totalmente convencionales. Hubo contrastes marcados entre los sistemas en cuanto a la composici?n, riqueza y diversidad de hormigas, alcanz?ndose los mayores valores en el sistema totalmente org?nico. No obstante, tales diferencias se explican m?s por la edad de los cafetales y su complejidad estructural que por su tipo de manejo (org?nico o convencional). As? mismo, tanto la riqueza como la diversidad de especies de hormigas fueron mayores en el suelo y en los ?rboles de por? (Erythrina poeppigiana) que en los arbustos de caf?. solenopsis geminata fue la especie dominante en todos los sistemas, con excepci?n del sistema totalmente org?nico, donde domin? Pheidole radoszkowskii. Ant species diversity was studied along a gradient of six agroforestry coffee systems, ranging from fully organic to fully conventional. There were clear contrasts between systems in terms of species composition, richness and diversity, with the highest values attained in the fully organic system . However, such differences were due to the age and structural complexity of the systems, rather than to the type of management (organic or conventional). also, both ant species richness and diversity were higher in the soil on por? (Erythrina poeppigiana) trees than on the coffee shrubs. Solenopsis geminata was the dominant ant species in all systems, excepting the fully organic one, where Pheidole radoszkowskii

Simple does not mean poor: grasslands and forests harbor similar ant species richness and distinct composition in highlands of southern Brazil

Several studies addressed ant communities in the dense Atlantic Forest that runs along the Brazilian coast. However, comparatively little is known about the mixed forests and grasslands that occur in the southern range of the Atlantic Forest domain. In this study we performed the first standardized assessment of ants in the forest- grassland mosaic found in the highlands of the state of Santa Catarina. We aimed to investigate and compare ant richness and composition between mixed forests and grasslands in the main mountain range of south Brazil. Ants were collected in two years with ground pitfalls, tree pitfalls and litter samples. Sixty ant species were recorded, resulting in 22 new records for “Planalto Serrano” region and three for the state of Santa Catarina: Eurhopalothrix depressa , Pheidole radoszkowskii and Wasmannia williamsoni . There was significant dissimilarity in ant species composition between grasslands and forests, but no difference in ant species richness, even considering the higher number of strata in mixed forests. Similar richness and low number of arboreal species suggest that this ant community is structured similarly to temperate ones. Both habitats presented a large proportion of exclusive species. The fact that species composition between grassland and forest areas differed, coupled with the similarity in species richness between habitats and the record of new ant species for the region, calls for strong conservation efforts in grasslands of southern Brazil, which still are little protected by conservation areas