Abstract
Species from the Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) species group are native to South America and have a cosmopolitan distribution because they have been accidentally introduced in many countries around the world. In Brazil, they have a wide distribution, including urban areas. The present study was conducted to investigate the characterization of Solenopsis genus populations associated with urban/human interference sites in Brazil by analyzing the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I and estimating the degree of relatedness of these populations to make inferences about their phylogeny and also observe the patterns of mitochondrial haplotype (mitotype) distribution across their range. The results revealed complete geographical coherence and polyphyly for the Solenopsis invicta Buren and Solenopsis saevissima species groups, which confirms the diversity of the genera. It also suggests the possibility that reproductively-isolated populations occur, resulting in the evolutionary process of speciation. No predominant haplotype was found in the populations analyzed, but some were more prevalent.
Highlights
Ants are highly adaptive insects and are distributed in most terrestrial environments in great abundance and diversity
Of the 114 analyzed colonies, 72 had a unique haplotype sequence of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial DNA, which are illustrated in the network (Figure 2)
The results show complete consistency when grouping populations according to geographical distribution and even polyphyly for S. invicta and S. saevisisma, which reveals diversity of this ant genus in Brazil
Summary
Ants are highly adaptive insects and are distributed in most terrestrial environments in great abundance and diversity. Invasive species can handle several types of habitats, such as urban and agricultural areas, that are of great social and economic importance to humans. In this invasive group are the ants of the genus Solenopsis (including the well-known fire ant), which occur worldwide and have a wide distribution in Brazil, including in urban areas. They are highly aggressive in defense of their colony and during foraging. Their presence has been documented in the United States, the West Indies, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Australia (Henschaw et al 2005; Tschinkel 2006), Taiwan (Chen et al 2006), and China (Yijuan et al 2007)
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