ENZYME POLYMORPHISM IN THE ANT GENUS TETRAMORIUM MAYR AND ITS SOCIAL PARASITES (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE)

Eleven enzyme-encoding loci were examined by electrophoresis in 19 spe cies of tetramoriine ants. GPI and PGM were found to be highly variabl e in some species, confirming the suitability of these enzymes for pop ulation genetical studies. The mainly slave-making ant genus, Strongyl ognathus showed great similarities in most enzyme phenotypes to the no n-parasitic genus Tetramorium. On the other hand, the two inquiline pa rasites, Anergates atratulus and Teleutomyrmex schneideri, differed st rongly from each other and from their Tetramorium hosts in allozyme ch aracters. Based on enzyme similarities, the evolution of the inquiline s from slave-making ancestors of the genus Stronglylognathus appears u nlikely. Both esterase patterns and the apparent fixation of T. caespi tum and T. impurum for different electromorphs in MDHP could possibly be used as diagnostic characters to distinguish biochemically between workers of these two very similar species.