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A metatranscriptomic survey of the invasive yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes, identifies several potential viral and bacterial pathogens and mutualists

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Abstract

Thriving populations of invasive species often decline, but the mechanisms behind such declines are rarely elucidated. The microbial community living within insects can have significant impacts on host health and population dynamics and may be one such mechanism. Here, we use Illumina RNAseq and 16S amplicon sequencing to compare the bacterial communities, and investigate the presence of viruses, in queens of the invasive yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes, from populations in various stages of decline or expansion in Australia. Black queen cell virus and sequences with homology to the Dicistroviridae family of viruses were detected in queens from declining ant populations. This is the first instance of sequences with homology to a virus being found in A. gracilipes and may indicate a new virus. The overall bacterial communities were not statistically different between the population types and a number of potential mutualists were discovered. Several putative pathogens were also detected, including Candidatus Rhabdochlamydia, the entomopathogen Serratia marcescens and the reproductive parasite Candidatus Cardinium. These taxa are known to significantly affect host biology in other organisms. Our survey has identified several candidates that may be responsible for population declines of this invasive ant, and therefore may have potential as biological control agents.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the many people that provided technical assistance, especially Daryl Lacey, Paul Augustin, Leanne Dzendolet, Tony Schultz and the many people involved with Conservation Volunteers Australia. Our thanks are due to Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation and the traditional landowners of northeast Arnhem Land for access to the region and the staff of Rio Tinto for access to the mining leases and accommodation. This work was funded and supported by the Victoria University of Wellington Research Trust, CSIRO Australia, Rio Tinto Alcan, and the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation. M. Cooling was supported by a Victoria University of Wellington Doctoral Scholarship.

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  1. School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand

    M. Cooling, M. A. M. Gruber, A. Sébastien & P. J. Lester

  2. CSIRO, Tropical Ecosystems Research Centre, PMB 44, Winnellie, NT, 0822, Australia

    B. D. Hoffmann

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  1. M. Cooling
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  2. M. A. M. Gruber
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Correspondence to M. Cooling.

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Cooling, M., Gruber, M.A.M., Hoffmann, B.D. et al. A metatranscriptomic survey of the invasive yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes, identifies several potential viral and bacterial pathogens and mutualists. Insect. Soc. 64, 197–207 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-016-0531-x

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