DIVERSITY OF Wasmannia auropunctata (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) AND THE USE OF MITOCHONDRIAL INTERGENIC SPACER AND LEUCINE tRNA FOR ITS IDENTIFICATION

Abstract

The invasiveness, reproductive system and control of Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863) have been the focus of many studies. However, few of these have addressed its genetic diversity or offered new techniques for species identification. In this work, we studied the diversity of W. auropunctata in two regions of its native range, Brazil and Colombia, and evaluated new identification methods based on a molecular approach. We sampled ants from 31 localities and sequenced a mitochondrial DNA fragment covering the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, an intergenic spacer (IGS) region, a transfer RNA (tRNA)-encoding gene and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COII) gene. We found high haplotype diversity, and most of the mitotypes in our samples (80%) had not been recorded before. Data analyses and comparisons with published data revealed that the tRNA between the IGS region and the COII gene was similar in all ants of this species, while the IGS region between the COI and the tRNA-encoding genes was variable in length. These findings may contribute for interspecific and intraspecific identification, respectively. Our work demonstrates the importance of more molecular studies of this kind, because they may offer new perspectives on the diversity of this species and the methods used to identify it.