DNA barcoding of aphid-associated ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in a subtropical area of southern China.

ABSTRACT: As one of the most abundant and complex groups of terrestrial insects, ants have associations with many other organismal groups, such as hemipteran insects producing honeydew. With the aim of expanding the knowledge base of ant species associated with aphids, this study analyzed mitochondrial COI barcodes of 301 ant samples for 37 aphid-associated ant species in a subtropical area of southern China. Sequence analyses revealed that the intraspecific and interspecific distances ranged from zero to 7.7%% and 0.2 to 31.7%, respectively. Three barcoding approaches - Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery, Bayesian Poisson Tree Processes and Generalized Mixed Yule-coalescent - were used to help delimit ant species based on COI sequences, and their results corresponded well with most of the morphospecie

SUBMITTER: Siddiqui JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6795625 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature