Scanning Electron Microscopy on the Ant Larvae of Three Species of Myrmica Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Indian Himalayas

The genus Myrmica is represented by 32 species categorized into five species groups from India, namely ritae group, inezae group, pachei group, smythiesii group, and rugosa group. The rugosa group is further subdivided into two species complexes, the rugosa-complex and the cachmiriensis-complex. Herein, we present Scanning Electron Microscopy of larval instars of two species falling in cachmiriensis-complex (Myrmica cachmiriensis Forel, 1904, and Myrmica wardi Radchenko & Elmes, 1999) and Myrmica nitida Radchenko & Elmes, 1999 which has not been assigned any group because of its unique combination of morphological characters. Based on the frequency distribution of larval head widths three larval instars were observed in the studied species of genus Myrmica. There were discrete differences in the body constitution between larval instars. The body profile is different in all the three species; in M. cachmiriensis is of Pheidoloid type, in M. nitida Aphaenogastroid type, and in M. wardi Myrmecoid type. Prominent interspecific differences were observed in the body hair, mandibles and in morphometric analysis.