Comparative Analysis of Facial Coloration between Introduced and Source Populations of the Red Wood Ant Formica paralugubris.

ABSTRACT: The variation in the typical black-reddish color of red wood ants (Formica rufa group) has been recently suggested as a good indicator of habitat quality, being dependent on environmental conditions. However, the relative contribution of external factors and heritability in shaping this trait is poorly investigated. In this study, we compared the facial coloration of workers from four introduced populations of Formica paralugubris with those of the two Alpine populations from which they had been taken. We used a Relative Warp Analysis to describe the variations in the shape of this trait. We expected each introduced population to be more similar to its population of origin if the color pattern was predominantly genetically determined. On the contrary, due to the cons

SUBMITTER: Frizzi F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9787359 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature