Genetic Diversity of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Arkansas, USA

Limited information exists on the extent of genetic variation of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from undisturbed forest habitats in the United States. We conducted a molecular genetics study involving DNA sequencing of a portion of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I gene to determine the extent of genetic variation of ants from the Arkansas Ozark-St. Francis National Forest (OSFNF). Forty one samples were collected, identified to species and subjected to DNA sequencing. From these samples, five species were identified, with Aphaenogaster texana and Crematogaster lineolata being the most abundant. Genetic diversity was also the greatest for these two species. The cytochrome oxidase I marker was able to reliably distinguish all five of the species encountered. It appears that the species richness and genetic diversity of ants from the OSFNF is high, which gives support for using ants as indicators of forest health in the United States.