FIRST RECORDS OF TWO SPECIES OF GENUS MESSOR FOREL, 1890 (FORMICIDAE: MYRMICINAE) ALONG WITH TROPHIC ASSOCIATIONS WITH APHIDS FROM POTHWAR REGION OF PAKISTAN
I. Bodlah1, M. T. Rasheed1, X. Huang2, A. Gull-E-Fareen4 J. A. Siddiqui2 and M. A. Bodlah3
1Insect Biodiversity and Conservation Group, Department of Entomology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan; 2State key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; 3Fareed Biodiversity and Conservation Centre, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan; 4Department of Environmental Sciences, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Corresponding Author E-mail:imranbodlah@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Two species of genus Messor Forel, 1890, namely Messor instabilis (Smith, 1858) and Messor himalayanus (Forel, 1902) have been recorded for the first time from Pothwar region of Pakistan. Trophic associations of both species with aphid partners are reported for the first time from Pakistan. Main identification characters supported with micro-photographs, measurements and distribution are given. A key to both species based on worker caste has also been given.
Key words: New records, Messor, Hymenoptera, Myrmicinae, Trophic associations, Pothwar, Pakistan
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