Sequence comparisons of the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal genes support close relationships between parasitic ants and their respective host species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A fragment of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1) adjacent to the 5.8S rRNA gene of 20 myrmicine ant species was sequenced. Sequence comparisons were carried out between 11 species of the tribe Leptothoracini, five species of the tribe Tetramoriini, three species of the tribe Solenopsidini and one species of the tribe Myrmicini. Additionally, the formicine antCamponotus ligniperda (tribe Camponotini) was analyzed as an outgroup species. Among all investigated species, the fragment had a variable length of ≈ 230–380 bp with only a few conserved sequence elements. The sequences of this fragment were perfectly identical within four palearctic populations ofLeptothorax acervorum indicating that intraspecific variation is rather low. Within the species of Tetramoriini (includingAnergates atratulus) 94.1% of sequence positions were identical, 95.6% within the species of theLeptothorax s.str.-group and 64.6% within the species of theMyrafant-group. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the social parasitesHarpagoxenus sublaevis, Doronomyrmex goesswaldi, D. kutteri andD. pacis, Chalepoxenus muellerianus as well asStrongylognathus alpinus andTeleutomyrmex schneideri are most closely related to the groups of their respective host species, which generally confirms the taxonomical classifications of the subfamily Myrmicinae based on morphological criteria. The taxonomical positions of the speciesA. atratulus has as yet been uncertain, however, sequence comparison of the ITS-1 fragment leads to the conclusion thatA. atratulus rather belongs to the tribe Tetramoriini than to the Solenopsidini.