Description of dealate of Myrmecina urbanii Tiwari (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Karnataka, India, with notes on worker castes

The dealate of the myrmicine ant, Myrmecina urbanii, is described. The genus Myrmecina is known to show queen polymorphism, wherein wingless “intermorphs” which are morphologically intermediate between gynomorphs and worker castes are known to occur and lay eggs. M. urbanii is known from worker castes only. In the present study, few workers, which are intermediate between queen and worker castes, are also observed. Based on the external morphology and morphometric measurements, variations across the worker castes are also discussed in this study. The workers exhibited considerable variations, especially in the pattern of striations on their thorax and in their body size. The morphometric study of workers implies the presence of intercastes in this species, even though the ovarian status of none of the workers was examined