CORPORA-ALLATA IN FEMALES OF NEOPONERA-VILLOSA ANTS (HYMENOPTERA FORMICIDAE) - RELATIONS WITH OVARIAN DEVELOPMENT

In female ants of the species Neoponera villosa the corpora allata are paired structures located dorsolaterally to the esophagus (Camargo-Ma thias and Caetano, 1991). In the present study the glandular volume of the corpora allata was estimated and the activity of the glands was c ompared with the ovarian development. In the workers there was a relat ion between activity of these glands and ovaries in stages 0 to IV. In workers, with ovaries at stage V (maximum development) there was a sm aller activity of the corpora allata. Another increasing activity was found in workers with ovaries at stage VII. In the queens, mainly thos e which were mated, whose ovaries were always fully developed, the vol ume of the corpora allata was smaller than those of the workers.