Karyotype and putative chromosomal inversion suggested by integration of cytogenetic and molecular data of the fungus-farming ant Emery, 1888.

Comparative cytogenetic analyses are being increasingly used to collect information on species evolution, for example, diversification of closely related lineages and identification of morphologically indistinguishable species or lineages. Here, we have described the karyotype of the fungus-farming ant Emery, 1888 and investigated its evolutionary relationships on the basis of molecular and cytogenetic data. The karyotype consists of 2n = 20 chromosomes (2K = 18M + 2SM). We also demonstrated that this species has the classical insect TTAGG telomere organization. Phylogenetic reconstruction showed that is phylogenetically closer to Mayhé-Nunes & Brandão, 2005 and Fowler, 1982. We compared with other congeneric species such as Wheeler, 1925 and inferred that probably underwent a major pericentric inversion in one of its largest chromosomes, making it submetacentric. We discussed our results in the light of the phylogenetic relationships and chromosomal evolution.