Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: IASMIN GÓES FROSSARD

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
DISCENTE: IASMIN GÓES FROSSARD
DATA: 18/09/2026
HORA: 08:00
LOCAL: anfiteatro do DEN e online
TÍTULO:

Worker body size drives cuticle thickness and intensity of positive reaction for lipids in the leaf-cutting ants Atta laevigata and Atta sexdens

PALAVRAS-CHAVES:

polymorphism, subcastes, surface-to-volume ratio, water balance

PÁGINAS: 21
GRANDE ÁREA: Ciências Agrárias
ÁREA: Agronomia
SUBÁREA: Fitossanidade
ESPECIALIDADE: Entomologia Agrícola
RESUMO:

The body size of insects influences the surface area-volume ratio and can affect the thickness of the cuticle and the amount of cuticular lipids, particularly in eusocial species, such as leaf-cutting ants of the genus Atta, which exhibit pronounced worker polymorphism. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between body size, cuticular lipid intensity, and cuticle thickness in workers of Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Atta sexdens (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Small, medium, and large workers, defined according to the width of the cephalic capsule, were compared regarding relative cuticle thickness and cuticular lipid intensity. Both traits varied among worker size classes. Small workers showed higher cuticular lipid intensity and greater relative cuticle thickness, while medium and large workers exhibited lower values for both traits, indicating that different cuticle components respond similarly to body size, regardless of the species. Although the intensity of cuticular lipids was not differentiated between species, cuticle thickness was consistently greater in A. sexdens than in A. laevigata in all size classes. Overall, our findings suggest that the different components of the cuticle of A. laevigata and A. sexdens are not determined solely by body size, but also reflect the specific function performed by the workers within the colony.

MEMBROS DA BANCA:
Presidente - RONALD ZANETTI BONETTI FILHO (Membro)
Interno - LUIS CLAUDIO PATERNO SILVEIRA (Suplente)
Interno - KHALID HADDI (Membro)
Externo à Instituição - CAROLINE SILVA DE ABREU - CENIBRA (Membro)
Interno - BRUNO HENRIQUE SARDINHA DE SOUZA (Membro)
Externo à Instituição - ALEXANDRE ARNHOLD - UFSB (Suplente)