Cryptic Diversity in Colombian Edible Leaf-Cutting Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

ABSTRACT: Leaf-cutting ants are often considered agricultural pests, but they can also benefit local people and serve important roles in ecosystems. Throughout their distribution, winged reproductive queens of leaf-cutting ants in the genus Atta Fabricius, 1804 are consumed as a protein-rich food source and sometimes used for medical purposes. Little is known, however, about the species identity of collected ants and the accuracy of identification when ants are sold, ambiguities that may impact the conservation status of Atta species as well as the nutritional value that they provide to consumers. Here, 21 samples of fried ants bought in San Gil, Colombia, were identified to species level using Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) barcoding sequences. DNA was extracted from these fried samples u

SUBMITTER: Kooij PW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6316631 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature