Limited genetic differentiation of Mycetomoellerius mikromelanos in Parque National Soberanía, Panama: Implications for queen dispersal

The coevolutionary relationship between fungus‐growing ants (Formicidae: Attini: Attina) and their symbionts has been well studied in the Panamanian rain forests. To further understand the ecological context of these evolutionary relationships, we have examined the population‐genetic structure of the fungus‐growing ant species Mycetomoellerius mikromelanos Cardenas, Schultz, Adams 2021 in the Panama Canal Zone. We specifically investigated the presence of population structure, the significance of geographic features (i.e., creeks) limiting gene flow, and relatedness between ant colonies. To accomplish this, we genotyped 85 ant colonies from nine creeks across an approximately 30 km transect in Parque National Soberanía, Panama, using double‐digest restriction‐site‐associated DNA sequencing. We did not find distinct population structure using two genetic clustering methods; however, we did detect an effect of isolation by distance. Furthermore, related colonies were frequently detected on the same creek or neighboring creeks, and some at further geographic distances. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that new colonies tend to establish on natal creeks and occasionally on distant creeks following long‐distance dispersal events. We discuss how population‐genetic patterns reveal the natural history of M. mikromelanos in Parque National Soberanía and how these results fit into the context of fungus‐growing ant mutualisms. in Spanish is available with online material. RESUMO La relación coevolutiva entre las hormigas cultivadoras de hongos (Formicidae: Attini: Attina) y sus simbiontes ha sido bien estudiada en los bosques húmedos panameños. Para comprender mejor el contexto ecológico de estas relaciones evolutivas, en este estudio examinamos la estructura genética de la población de la hormiga cultivadora de hongos Mycetomoellerius mikromelanos Cardenas, Schultz, Adams 2021 en la Zona del Canal de Panamá. En concreto, analizamos la presencia de estructura poblacional, la importancia de factores geográficos que pudieran limitar el flujo de genes (en este caso, arroyos), así como el parentesco entre las colonias. Para ello, se muestrearon 85 colonias de hormigas de nueve arroyos distribuidos a lo largo de un transecto de aproximadamente 30 km en el interior del Parque Nacional Soberanía, Panamá, que fueron genotipificadas mediante la técnica de secuenciación del ADN asociado a sitios de restricción de doble digestión (ddRAD‐seq, por sus siglas en ingles). P