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ViewAttendees 2

10-Minute Paper

Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity

SysEB: Evolution and Phylogenetics 2

Population genetic analyses reveal host association and genetically distinct populations of social parasite Solenopsis daguerrei (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Wednesday, November 8, 2023
3:42 PM – 3:54 PM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor 2
In-Person
Social insects such as ants are susceptible to numerous parasites, including other social insects, which are referred to as social parasites. Inquilines represent one class of social parasites that lack a worker caste and must rely solely on their hosts to rear brood. Inquilines are considered rare in nature due to low population densities and their small body sizes. Consequently, there is a severe lack of research on inquilines, and the few existing studies have been based on small sample sizes and a limited number of molecular markers. These limitations have lowered the potential to uncover important genetic variation seen in natural populations and decreased the overall statistical confidence of previous studies. To address these issues, we sampled nearly 300 infested colonies (larger than any previous study on inquilines) and utilized nuclear and mitochondrial markers to assess both large- and fine-scale patterns of genetic variation within and among populations of inquiline S. daguerrei and its associated fire ant hosts. Our results indicate S. daguerrei is highly inbred, possesses poor dispersal abilities, and comprises four genetically distinct groups, each with varying degrees of association with a single, but different host ant species. Our study provides valuable insights into not only inquilines and their elusive lifestyle but also how host distribution and association can influence the genetic patterns within and among parasite populations.