International Journal of Entomology Research

Authors
Thangavel Rajagopal, Pitchai Singam, Subbiah Kulandaivel, Subbiah Selvarani, Subramanian Sevarkodiyone, Ponnirul Ponmanickam

Abstract
The present study aims to isolate and characterize bacteria from the gut of the workers of the red weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina. The red weaver ants collected from urban and rural areas located in and around Madurai City. The gut contents were extracted and streaked on nutrient agar medium. The predominant types of bacterial colonies were isolated and streaked to get pure colonies and were subjected to morphological and biochemical tests for identification. Three bacterial isolates (RH1-Bacillus sp.1, RH2-Bacillus sp.2 and RH3-Bacillus sp.3) from rural and three (UH1-Bacillus sp.1, UH2-Klebsiella sp. (UH2) and UH3-Bacillus sp.2.) from urban habitats were identified based on their morphological and biochemical features. The Klebsiella spp., a pathogenic bacteria carried by the red weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina in its gut could be a source of infections in the urban environment.