Ultramorphology of mandibles from Dolichoderus (=Monacis) bispinosus males.

Abstract

Mandibles of ants are usual for many activities like cut and transport of food, transport of larvae and eggs, colony defense and to dig the rolls in the soil or/and wood for next building, among other activities. In male the principal function of the mandible is to act itself to female body during the mating by other hand the female use its mandibles to cut out the end of the male body after mating. The mandible movement are be possible because the different muscle presents in its articulation - the abductor and to adductor ones. The S.E.M. makes possible to study it in details to and showed the presence of skeletal muscle. This suggests its function to be instrument to use during the mating.