Ultrastructural characterization of antennal sensory architecture in three species of Himalayan Myrmica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Harshita Sharma; Meenakshi Bharti; Himender Bharti

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v73i3.11843

Authors

Harshita Sharma Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1062-3196
Meenakshi Bharti Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0728-9065
Himender Bharti Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5996-1808

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v73i3.11843

Keywords:

Antennal sensilla, Myrmicinae, scanning electron microscopy, Ecology, chemoreception

Abstract

Ants rely on antennal sensilla for chemical communication and for perceiving environmental cues, which are essential for colony organization and survival. However, information on sensillar organization in high- altitude Himalayan ants remains limited. The present study provides the first detailed comparative analysis of the types, morphology, and distribution of antennal sensilla in three Himalayan Myrmica species: Myrmica aimonissabaudiae Menozzi, 1939, Myrmica cachmiriensis Forel, 1904, and Myrmica inezae Forel, 1902, occupying distinct ecological niches. Differences in sensillar organization were observed among the three species. A novel sensilla chaetica branched has been observed in ants for the first time. This study establishes a baseline for understanding sensory morphology and ecological adaptation in the Himalayan genus Myrmica Latreille, 1804.

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