Morphology
See also general ant morphology
Red imported fire ants have both a pedicel and postpediole. In other words, they belong to a group of ants that have two humps between the thorax and abdomen. The workers have ten antennal segments terminating in a two-segmented club. It is often difficult to distinguish between the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta and some other species in the genus. A number of characters are used, but are not always consistent between the black imported fire ant (Solenopsis richteri) or hybrids between the two species. Positive identifications can be made using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to distinguish differences in the cuticular hydrocarbons.
Read more about this topic: Red Imported Fire Ant
Famous quotes containing the word morphology:
“I ascribe a basic importance to the phenomenon of language.... To speak means to be in a position to use a certain syntax, to grasp the morphology of this or that language, but it means above all to assume a culture, to support the weight of a civilization.”
—Frantz Fanon (1925–1961)