Mating frequency of Pachycondyla chinensis (Hymenopter: Formicidae) queens inferred from microsatellite analysis

Reproductive studies of the Asian needle ant Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery) will contribute to better fundamental understandings of the ecology of these invasive ants, which will aid in pest control purposes in South Carolina and elsewhere. The high variability inherent in microsatellite loci makes them ideal to understand reproductive biology and ecological dynamics. Therefore, four microsatellite markers were used to deduce the mating frequency (polyandry) of P. chinensis by analyzing the contents of the sperm storage organ (spermatheca) found in queen ants. A procedure was developed to locate and remove the spermatheca and subsequently isolate the genomic DNA of male sperm. A positive control assay, with artificial samples, was developed to ensure the methodology could discriminate multiple alleles at a locus. Low levels of polyandry were observed. The implications of these findings for pest control and fundamental understanding of the ecology of these pest ants will be discussed.