Molecular systematics and diversity of some species of leaf-cutting ants

• Grant number: 06/00185-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2006
• End date: March 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Mauricio Bacci Junior
• Grantee: Mauricio Bacci Junior
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Nuclear, mitochondrial and nuclear mitochondrial-like DNA sequences will be determined in leaf-cutting ants in the species Atta sexdens (Linnaeus, 1758), Atta cephalotes (Linnaeus, 1758), Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858) and Acromyrmex balzani (Emery, 1890) living in different geographic sites in the America Continent, including the type localities of each species and subspecies. The generated sequences and outgroup sequences will be submitted to phylogenetic analyses to identify different genetic groups within each of the ant species, as well as to determine the radiation order of these genetic groups. The obtained results will be utilized (1) to get information on leafcutters diversity; (2) to guide a morphological analysis aiming to reveal characters which will be useful for the diagnosis of leafcutters species and subspecies; (3) to build a web accessed database containing molecular, morphological, literature and collection data on the studied leaf-cutting ants; (4) to investigate heteroplasmy as well as mitochondrial pseudogenes evolution and diversity within the studied leafcutter species. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SOSA-CALVO, JEFFREY; SCHULTZ, TED R.; BRANDAO, CARLOS R. F.; KLINGENBERG, CHRISTIANA; FEITOSA, RODRIGO M.; RABELING, CHRISTIAN; BACCI, JR., MAURICIO; LOPES, CAUE T.; VASCONCELOS, HERALDO L.. Cyatta abscondita: Taxonomy, Evolution, and Natural History of a New Fungus-Farming Ant Genus from Brazil. PLoS One, v. 8, n. 11, NOV 15 2013. (06/00185-7, 11/24160-1)

RABELING, CHRISTIAN; BACCI, JR., MAURICIO. A new workerless inquiline in the Lower Attini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a discussion of social parasitism in fungus-growing ants. Systematic Entomology, v. 35, n. 3, p. 379-392, JUL 2010. (06/00185-7)

SOLOMON, SCOTT E.; BACCI, JR., MAURICIO; MARTINS, JR., JOAQUIM; VINHA, GIOVANNA GONCALVES; MUELLER, ULRICH G.. Paleodistributions and Comparative Molecular Phylogeography of Leafcutter Ants (Atta spp.) Provide New Insight into the Origins of Amazonian Diversity. PLoS One, v. 3, n. 7, p. e2738, 2008. (06/00185-7)