Karyotype and putative chromosomal inversion suggested by integration of cytogenetic and molecular data of the fungus-farming ant Mycetomoellerius iheringi Emery, 1888

Abstract

Comparative cytogenetic analyses are being increasingly used to collect information on species evolution, for example, diversification of closely related lineages and identification of morphologically indistinguishable species or lineages. Here, we have described the karyotype of the fungus-farming ant Mycetomoellerius iheringi Emery, 1888 and investigated its evolutionary relationships on the basis of molecular and cytogenetic data. The M. iheringi karyotype consists of 2n = 20 chromosomes (2K = 18M + 2SM). We also demonstrated that this species has the classical insect TTAGG telomere organization. Phylogenetic reconstruction showed that M. iheringi is phylogenetically closer to M. cirratus Mayhé-Nunes & Brandão, 2005 and M. kempfi Fowler, 1982. We compared M. iheringi with other congeneric species such as M. holmgreni Wheeler, 1925 and inferred that M. iheringi probably underwent a major pericentric inversion in one of its largest chromosomes, making it submetacentric. We discussed our results in the light of the phylogenetic relationships and chromosomal evolution.