Genetic Diversity and Wolbachia Infection Patterns in a Globally Distributed Invasive Ant

Abstract

Understanding the phylogeographic history of an invasive species may facilitate reconstructing the history and routes of its invasion. The longhorn crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis, is a ubiquitous agricultural and household pest throughout much of the tropics and subtropics, but little is known about the history of its spread. Here, we examine worldwide genetic variation in P. longicornis and its associated Wolbachia bacterial symbionts. Analyses of mtDNA sequences of 248 P. longicornis workers (one per colony) from 13 geographic regions reveal two highly diverged mtDNA clades that co-occur in most of the geographic regions. These two mtDNA clades are associated with different Wolbachia infection patterns, but are not congruent with patterns of nDNA (microsatellite) variation. Multilocus sequence typing reveals two distinct Wolbachia strains in P. longicornis, namely, wLonA and wLonF. The evolutionary histories of these two strains differ; wLonA appears to be primarily transmitted maternally, and patterns of mtDNA and nDNA variation and wLonA infection status are consistent with a relatively recent Wolbachia-induced selective sweep. In contrast, the observed patterns of mtDNA variation and wLonF infections suggest frequent horizontal transfer and losses of wLonF infections. The lack of nDNA structure among sampled geographic regions coupled with the finding that numerous mtDNA haplotypes are shared among regions implies that inadvertent long-distance movement through human commerce is common in P. longicornis and has shaped the genetic structure of this invasive ant worldwide.

Ongoing Coevolution of Wolbachia and a Widespread Invasive Ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes

“…gracilipes in virtually all geographic regions. In some cases, Wolbachia infection rates in ants were found to be 100%, but most of these studies either were conducted at a rather local scale (e.g., single collection site) [ 49 ] or that the infection rates fluctuate temporally and spatially [ 22 , 47 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ]. A similar Wolbachia prevalence pattern has been reported in the parasitic wasp [ 57 ], bedbugs [ 5 ], and filarial nematodes [ 3 , 7 ].…”

Wolbachiaaffect behavior and possibly reproductive compatibility but not thermoresistance, fecundity, and morphology in a novel transinfected host,Drosophila nigrosparsa

“…For example, Wolbachia from the European 54 cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi, has been transmitted to the invasive North American eastern 55 cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata (Schuler et al, 2013(Schuler et al, , 2016. In Paratrechina longicornis, an 56 invasive ant species, Wolbachia strain wLonF is horizontally transmitted among populations more 57 often than another strain, wLonA (Tseng et al, 2019…”

Wolbachia affect behavior and possibly reproductive compatibility but not thermoresistance, fecundity, and morphology in a novel transinfected host, Drosophila nigrosparsa

“…For example, Wolbachia from the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi , has moved to the invasive North American eastern cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata (Schuler et al, 2013, 2016). In Paratrechina longicornis , an invasive ant species, Wolbachia strain w LonF, is horizontally transmitted among populations more often than another strain, w LonA (Tseng et al, 2019).…”