Description of Putative Courtship Behavior and Morphology of the Male in Stigmatomma  caliginosa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Kazuma Chiyoda; Mamoru Terayama

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v73i3.12770

Authors

Kazuma Chiyoda Cooperative Division of Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3626-7037
Mamoru Terayama Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0230-4983

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v73i3.12770

Keywords:

Amblyoponinae, Amblyoponini, Dracula ants, Formicidae, Intranidal mating, Japan

Abstract

The subterranean ant genus Stigmatomma exhibits ancestral traits and specialized behaviors, but its mating ecology and male morphology remain largely unexplored. In this study, we describe the behavior and male morphology of S. caliginosa for the first time. Laboratory video recordings captured a behavioral sequence in which the male initiated contact with an alate queen via antennation, followed by mounting, body vibration, and antennal boxing directed toward her while strongly curling his gaster. Morphological analysis revealed that the male is relatively large, similar in size to alate queens, and possesses 12-segmented filiform antennae. Although genital insertion was not observed during behavioral observations, the observed sequence of behaviors resembled courtship behavior reported in other ants that engage in intranidal mating. This suggests that the behavior may be related to mating and raises the possibility that S. caliginosa also engages in intranidal mating.

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