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A Rare Case of the Presence of Ocelli in a Worker of Aenictus pachycerus (F. Smith, 1858) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The worker caste in species of the genus Aenictus Shuckard, 1840 is entirely blind, devoid of compound eyes and ocelli. In contrast, males of the same species possess large compound eyes and three prominent ocelli, which facilitate orientation and navigation during nuptial flights. In a rare observation, the presence of ocelli was documented in a worker individual of Aenictus pachycerus (F. Smith, 1858), a deviation from the typical worker morphology observed within the genus.

Source: Sociobiology

DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v73i1.11801

Authors: Bikash Sahoo, Sahanashree Ramakrishnaiah, Aniruddha Datta-Roy

Institutions: National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment

Language: English

Topic: Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: National Institute of Science Education and Research

OpenAlex ID: W7136089326

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