Five novel RNA viruses of the invasive big-headed ant (Pheidole megacephala).

ABSTRACT: The African big-headed ant, Pheidole megacephala, is one of the most destructive invasive ant species, posing a significant threat to native biodiversity and ecosystem function, particularly in island ecosystems. Despite recent efforts to characterize pathogens in other major invasive ants, P. megacephala has received comparatively little attention. In this study, we characterized five novel RNA viruses actively replicating in P. megacephala, which we have named Pheidole megacephala virus 1-5 (PmV1-5), and examined viral diversity and prevalence in two invasive populations in Taiwan and Hawaii. This ant possesses a unique trait of true morphological worker dimorphism (major and minor), allowing us to test whether virus prevalence differs between the major and minor worker castes. Our findi

SUBMITTER: Hartle CT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12328527 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature