All these species are characterised by the ability to build large aboveground nest mounds, and by the red and black coloration of their bodies. They belong to the Formica rufa Palearctic complex, which in Western Europe comprises at least six species: F. Red wood ants (RWA) are ecologically dominant species native of boreal forests of Central and Northern Europe. Future studies based on high-throughput genomic methods are needed to obtain a thorough understanding of the effects of environmental pressure on the genetic structure and mating system of these populations. Genetic analyses unveiled the existence of six main different groups that do not entirely mirror their geographic subdivision, pointing towards a wide admixture between populations, but, at the same time, rapid diversification of some Apennine populations. Apennine groups and the comparison among native and related introduced populations (all ranging between 77.84% and 79.84%). AMOVA results clearly pointed out that the overall genetic structure was dominated by among-worker variation, considering all populations, the Alpine vs. The genetic variation was higher in the introduced population compared to the native ones that, on the other hand, showed a higher diversity between nests. PCR amplification with a fam_EcoRI-TAC/MseI-ATG primers combination produced a total of 147 scorable bands, with 17 identified as outlier loci. paralugubris, thus evaluating the extent of genetic drift that may have occurred since the time of introduction, using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. In this work, we assessed and compared the genetic variability and structure of native and introduced populations of F. Owing to their intense predatory activity, some of these species are used as biocontrol agents against several forest insect pests and for this aim in Italy, nearly 6000 ant nests were introduced from their native areas in the Alps to several Appeninic sites during the last century. The Formica rufa group comprises several ant species which are collectively referred to as “red wood ants” and play key roles in boreal forest ecosystems, where they are ecologically dominant and greatly influence habitat dynamics.
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