A critical review of the taxonomy of Gulgastrura reticulosa (Collembola: Hypogastruridae), a cave springtail from Korea

ABSTRACT. The cave collembolan Gulgastrura reticulosa was re-examined from a systematic point of view, using data obtained from scanning electron microscopy and investigation of temperature tolerances and moulting cycles. Absences of the third antennal organ, postantennal organ, pseudocellus, eyes and furca were confirmed, along with the prominent development, by contrast, of an "apical organ" at the apex of the antenna. The intermoulting period was shown to be 110 days on average at 9.5°C which is almost twice as long as the longest known intermoulting period for a collembolan. These exceptional characteristics are suggestive of drastic divergence from existing family groups of Collembola. It is suggested that the erection of a new family, separate from the Hypogastruridae to which Gulgastrura was assigned by the original author, may become appropriate some time in the future when evidence other than of morphology becomes available supporting this divergence. Gulgastrura is apparently limited to cave entrances, rendering the animal enigmatic in view of the usual occurrence of troglobites deep in caves.     

Opportunities for mate choice in the fission‐performing ant Cataglyphis cursor

1. Sexual selection has been little studied in social insects. Nonetheless, because mating is generally for life, opportunities for selecting among mating partners should be exploited. 2. In some ants, males aggregate at nest entrances to mate with emerging gynes. Both males and females thus have access to multiple mates over a relatively protracted period, giving rise to opportunities for mate choice and multiple mating. 3. We provide data from field observations of the male mating biology of the ant, Cataglyphis cursor Fonscolombe. In this species, females mate with, on average, six males each at the nest entrance and found colonies with the help of workers. 4. Males were present at the field site for approximately 1 month in spring, with up to 40 males at a single nest entrance for, on average, 4.7 days. Individual males were observed to survive up to 3 days, and mate up to eight times. 5. Thus both males and females of this species have the ability to mate multiply and have a window permitting mate choice to occur. Workers actively attacked males and may take part in the mate choice process, making C. cursor an interesting model to study questions relating to sexual selection and male mating strategies.