Reference genome of the kidnapper ant, Polyergus mexicanus

Area of Science:

• * Insect Genomics
• * Behavioral Ecology
• * Conservation Genetics

Background:

• * Polyergus ants exhibit obligate social parasitism, raiding Formica ant colonies for labor.
• * Polyergus mexicanus in California shows significant genetic polymorphism linked to host ant species.
• * This species influences host population dynamics and genetic diversity, underscoring its ecological importance.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To generate a high-quality genome assembly for Polyergus mexicanus.
• * To provide a genomic resource for understanding its genetic diversity and evolutionary ecology.
• * To sequence the genome of its Wolbachia endosymbiont.

Main Methods:

• * Whole-genome sequencing of a P. mexicanus individual from Plumas County, CA.
• * Bioinformatic assembly of the ant genome and its Wolbachia endosymbiont.
• * Assessment of genome assembly quality using contig N50, scaffold N50, and BUSCO completeness.

Main Results:

• * A genome assembly of 364 scaffolds (252.31 Mb) with a contig N50 of 481,250 kb and scaffold N50 of 10.36 Mb was produced.
• * BUSCO completeness was high at 95.4%.
• * The Wolbachia endosymbiont genome was assembled as a single, circular contig (1.23 Mb).

Conclusions:

• * The P. mexicanus genome assembly is a valuable resource for future research.
• * Genomic data will facilitate studies in conservation genetics, population genetics, speciation, and behavioral ecology.
• * This work supports the understanding of social parasitism and biodiversity in this ant species.