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Cytogenetic variability in four species of Gnamptogenys Roger, 1863 (Formicidae: Ectatomminae) showing chromosomal polymorphisms, species complex, and cryptic species

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Abstract

Gnamptogenys includes 138 described species that are widely distributed, with high diversity, in the Neotropics. Some Neotropical species have taxonomic issues, as is the case with Gnamptogenys striatula, for which morphological variations have been observed between different populations. For the ant species with taxonomic issues, classical and molecular cytogenetic studies have assisted in the resolution of these issues. Cytogenetic studies of Gnamptogenys are scarce and have only been reported for 14 taxa. These reports have rarely presented chromosomal morphology. Considering the importance of the taxonomic revision of some species, such as G. striatula, the present study cytogenetically characterized four species of Gnamptogenys: G. striatula, G. moelleri, G. regularis, and G. triangularis, discussing their phylogenetic and biogeographic characteristics. The number of chromosomes ranged from 2n = 26 to 2n = 44, with distinct karyotypes at both species and population levels. All four species presented a pair of 18S rDNA gene markers that coincided with GC-rich regions. In the case of G. striatula from the Atlantic rainforest, a chromosomal polymorphism was observed, with chromosomal translocations being the likely origin of this polymorphism. Two populations of G. striatula showed karyotype differences, thus corroborating previous morphological data indicating the existence of a species complex in this taxon. In addition, G. regularis showed a polymorphism involving a chromosome pair bearing ribosomal genes, possibly caused by unequal crossing-over. Although G. moelleri has a well-defined taxonomy, a population from the eastern Amazon rainforest presented a divergent karyotype from the Atlantic rainforest populations, suggesting the existence of a cryptic species in this taxon.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Silvia G. Pompolo for valuable advices during this project, Júlio C. M. Chaul for kindly yielding Gnamptogenys triangularis for cytogenetic analysis and to Dr. Jacques H. Delabie for species identification. The authors also thank the Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Insetos of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV) for technical support. GAT thanks the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the scholarship granted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-graduação em Genética e Melhoramento, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-000, Brazil

    Gisele Amaro Teixeira

  2. Laboratório de Citogenética de Insetos, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-000, Brazil

    Gisele Amaro Teixeira & Denilce Meneses Lopes

  3. Universidade Federal do Amapá, Campus Binacional, Oiapoque, AP, 68980-000, Brazil

    Luísa Antônia Campos Barros & Hilton Jeferson Alves Cardoso de Aguiar

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  1. Gisele Amaro Teixeira
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  3. Denilce Meneses Lopes
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  4. Hilton Jeferson Alves Cardoso de Aguiar
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Correspondence to Hilton Jeferson Alves Cardoso de Aguiar.

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Fig. S1

Fluorochrome staining of Gnamptogenys from mordax and rastrata groups. (a, b) Metaphases of G. triangularis (rastrata group), and (c - f) Gnamptogenys regularis (mordax group). Metaphases stained with Chromomycin A3 (a, c, e) and 4’6- diamidino-2-phenylindole (b, d, f), respectively. Arrows indicate regions rich in GC base pairs. Bar = 5 μm. (PNG 4159 kb)

High Resolution Image (TIF 7830 kb)

Fig. S2

Fluorochrome staining of Gnamptogenys striatula. Female metaphases of individuals from Rio de Janeiro (2n = 32) and Petrópolis (2n = 34) stained with Chromomycin A3 (a, c) and 4’6- diamidino-2-phenylindole (b, d), respectively. Arrows indicate regions rich in GC base pairs. Bar = 5 μm. (PNG 2942 kb)

High Resolution Image (TIF 2670 kb)

Fig. S3

Fluorochrome staining of Gnamptogenys moelleri. Female metaphases of individuals from Petrópolis (2n = 34), Viçosa (2n = 34), and Açailândia (2n = 44) stained with Chromomycin A3 (a, c, e) and 4’6- diamidino-2-phenylindole (b, d, f), respectively. Arrows indicate regions rich in GC base pairs. Bar = 5 μm. (PNG 5513 kb)

High Resolution Image` (TIF 4994 kb)

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Teixeira, G.A., Barros, L.A.C., Lopes, D.M. et al. Cytogenetic variability in four species of Gnamptogenys Roger, 1863 (Formicidae: Ectatomminae) showing chromosomal polymorphisms, species complex, and cryptic species. Protoplasma 257, 549–560 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-019-01451-6

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