Solenopsis invicta

March 18, 2026

Sample information
Picture
Entry by: Ethan V.
Location
Collection date 11/07/2025
Captive / Cultivated? Wild-caught
Group Walton High School
Observations

Red colored ant, quick movements, moving underneath leaves and dirt. Maybe not fully developed. Relatively large abdomen compared to the rest of the body and parts of the ant.
Putative identification Arthropoda Insecta Hymenoptera Formicidae Solenopsis Solenopsis invicta

Methods
Extraction kit DNeasy (Qiagen) blood + tissue kit with modification P2 for ATL + N3 for AL
DNA extraction location Whole arthropod
Single or Duplex PCR Single Reaction
Gel electrophoresis system MiniPCR
Buffer 1X TAE
DNA stain GelGreen
Gel images
Protocol notes

Results
Wolbachia presence Unknown
Confidence level High
Explanation of confidence level

When we conducted the gel electrophoresis, we received results of no Wolbachia, but our arthropod gel also did not have bands where they were supposed to be. This could mean two possibilities: either our organisms were not arthropods, or there was some issue in the DNA extraction portion of the process. This leads me to the conclusion that the presence of Wolbachia is unknown.
Wolbachia 16S sequence
Arthropod COI sequence
Summary
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