Camponotus chromaiodes – Red Carpenter Ant

Sample information

Picture
Photos by: Leon Z.
Location
Collection date 06/06/2022
Captive / Cultivated? Wild-caught
Group Pingry School
Observations

 

Ant specimen was found in a terrestrial environment – decomposing leaves next to a decomposing log within The Pingry School’s forest. It was caught at the beginning of June 2022 (start of Summer/end of Spring), around noon. Temperature was 23.9 degrees celsius. Attached is a picture of the place I found the Ant in (with the ant in the picture as well).

Putative identification Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Hymenoptera Formicidae Camponotus Camponotus chromaiodes

Methods

Extraction kit DNeasy (Qiagen)
DNA extraction location Whole arthropod
Single or Duplex PCR Single Reaction
Gel electrophoresis system Standard electrophoresis system
Buffer TAE
DNA stain SYBR Safe
Gel images
Protocol notes

The gel contains me and my lab partner’s DNA – my Insect and Wolbachia DNA are in lanes 4 and 5 respectively.

Lane 1 – DNA Ladder

Lane 2 – Partner’s ant

Lane 3 – Partner’s wolbachia test

Lane 4 – My Ant Test

Lane 5 – My Wolbachia test

Analysis:

The expected fragment for both Wolbachia 16S and Arthropod CO1 both showed up, in lanes 5 and 4 respectively. Wolbachia 16S has a base pair length of 438 base pairs, and in my gel’s lane 5 there is a band under the 500 base pair DNA ladder band – indicating the expected fragment. Arthropod CO1 has a base pair length of 708 base pairs, and in lane 4, there is a band between the 1000 base pair and 500 base pair length bands – indicating the expected fragment. DNA Sequencing further supported the identification of Carpenter Ant and + Wolbachia DNA, as when I input my sequences into BLAST, we observed very strong matches for both Wolbachia and Carpenter ant DNA.

Results

Wolbachia presence Yes
Confidence level High
Explanation of confidence level

My protocols worked as expected. I had minimal problems with the protocol, and I had  bands for both Insect and Wolbachia DNA in the gel. Additionally, our classroom sent our samples to be sequenced, and the sequencing that got returned further confirmed my confidence – I input my sequences into BLAST, and I got very good matches with my sequence.

Wolbachia 16S sequence Download FASTA    Download AB1
GCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTCATCCTTAG TTACCATCAGGTAATGCTGGGGACTTTAAGGAAACTGCCAGTGATAAACTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGATGTCAAGTCATC ATGGCCCTTATGGAGTGGGCTACACACGTGCTACAATGGTGGCTACAATGGGCTGCAAAGTCGCGAGGCTAAGCTAATCC CTTAAAAGCCATCTCAGTTCGGATTGTACTCTGCAACTCGAGTGCATGAAGTTGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTGGATCAGCA CGCCACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACTGCCCGTCACGCCATGGGAATTN
BLAST at The Wolbachia Project   BLAST at NCBI
Arthropod COI sequence Download FASTA    Download AB1
TGGCTCCTCTATAAGAATAATCATTCGACTAGAGTTGGGATCTCCTGATTCACTAATTCTTAATGATC AAACTTTCAATACCATCGTTACAAGTCATGCTTTTATTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATACCTTTTATAATTGGGGGATTT GGTAATTTTTTAATTCCCCTTATACTAGGATCTCCTGATATAGCTTACCCCCGTTTAAATAACATAAGATTTTGATTACT TCCCCCATCGATCTCCTTATTAATCCTAAGAAATTTTATTAATGAAGGATCTGGAACTGGTTGGACTGTCTACCCCCCTC TATCATCAAATACCTTCCATAGTGGCCCCTCTATTGACCTGACTATCTTTTCTCTCCATATTGCTGGTATATCCTCAATT ATAGGAGCAATCAATTTTATTTCAACAATTATAAATATACATAATTCCAATATTTCCCTAGATAAAATTCCCTTATTAGT ATGGTCTATTCTTATTACAGCTATTCTCCTTCTTCTGTCCCTACCTGTTCTAGCAGGAGCTATTACAATACTACTAACAG ACCGAAATCTTAATACTTCATTTTTC
BLAST at The Wolbachia Project   BLAST at NCBI
Summary The Camponotus chromaiodes was found to be postive for Wolbachia.
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