Male‐biased dispersal promotes large scale gene flow in a subterranean army ant, Dorylus (Typhlopone) fulvus

• DOI: 10.1007/s10144-013-0383-4
• Publication Date: 2013-05-31T13:23:36Z
• Authors: Matthias Benjamin...; Robin Frederik Al...; Christian Walter ...; Frank Bernhard Kraus
• Keywords: Population Genetics; Isolation by distance

Abstract Sex‐biased dispersal is a widespread phenomenon in the animal kingdom, which strongly influences gene flow and population structure. Particularly army ants, important key‐stone predators tropical ecosystems, are prone to fragmentation isolation due their extraordinary mating system: queens permanently wingless, propagate via colony fission, only males disperse flights. Here we report on sex‐biased genetic structure of an African subterranean ant, Dorylus ( Typhlopone ) fulvus . Using maternally inherited mtDNA markers bi‐parentally nuclear microsatellites found strong geographical structuring haplotypes, whereas was less pronounced. Strong Φ ST = 0.85), but significantly lower F 0.23) differentiation translated into more than order magnitude larger male migration rate compared that queens, reflecting low motility strong, promiscuous by males. Thus, well flying D. appear be sex promote large scale flow, indeed species specific patterns system profoundly affect phylogeography.