NESTMATE RECOGNITION AND THE GENETIC RELATEDNESS OF NESTS IN THE ANT FORMICA-PRATENSIS

Genetic relatedness of the mound-building ant Formica pratensis was de termined by means of microsatellite DNA polymorphism, and its impact o n nestmate recognition was tested in a population in Southern Sweden ( Oeland), Recognition between nests was measured by testing aggression levels between single pairs of workers. The genetic distances of nests (Nei's genetic distance) and the spatial distance of nests were corre lated and both showed a strong relation to the aggression behavior. Mu ltiple regression analysis revealed a stronger impact of genetic relat edness rather than spatial distances on aggression behavior. Neighbour ing nests were more closely related than distant nests, which may refl ect budding as a possible spreading mechanism. The genetic distance da ta showed that nestmate recognition was strongly genetically influence d in F. pratensis.