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Dispersal and population structure of a New World predator, the army ant Eciton burchellii
Author(s) -
BERGHOFF S. M.,
KRONAUER D. J. C.,
EDWARDS K. J.,
FRANKS N. R.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01531.x
Subject(s) - biology , biological dispersal , ecology , population , habitat fragmentation , gene flow , predator , genetic structure , inbreeding , fragmentation (computing) , habitat , nuclear gene , zoology , mitochondrial dna , genetic variation , predation , genetics , demography , gene , sociology
The army ant Eciton burchellii is probably the most important arthropod predator in the Neotropics, and many animal species depend upon it. Sex‐biased dispersal with winged males and permanently wingless queens may render this species especially sensitive to habitat fragmentation and natural barriers, which might have severe impacts on population structure and lead to population decline. Using nuclear microsatellite markers and mitochondrial sequences, we investigated genetic differentiation in a fragmented population in the Panama Canal area. While nuclear markers showed little differentiation between subpopulations ( F ST = 0.017), mitochondrial differentiation was maximal in some cases ( Φ ST = 1). This suggests that, while females are not capable of crossing barriers such as large rivers, flying males are able to promote nuclear gene flow between the studied forest patches. Consistent with this interpretation, we did not find any evidence for inbreeding or genetic deterioration on Barro Colorado Island over the last 90 years since its formation.