Data from: The socially parasitic ant Polyergus mexicanus has host-associated genetic population structure and related neighboring nests

The genetic structure of populations can be both a cause and a consequence
of ecological interactions. For parasites, genetic structure may be a
consequence of preferences for host species or of mating behavior.
Conversely, genetic structure can determine where conspecific interactions
among parasites lay on a spectrum from cooperation to conflict. We used
microsatellite loci to characterize the genetic structure of a population
of the socially parasitic dulotic (aka “slave-making”) ant (Polyergus
mexicanus), which is known for its host-specificity and conspecific
aggression. First, we assessed whether the pattern of host species use by
the parasite has influenced parasite population structure. We found that
host species use was correlated with subpopulation structure, but this
correlation was imperfect: some subpopulations used one host species
exclusively, while others used several. Second, we examined the viscosity
of the parasite population by measuring the relatedness of pairs of
neighboring parasitic ant nests at varying distances from each other.
Although natural history observations of local dispersal by queens
suggested the potential for viscosity, there was no strong correlation
between relatedness and distance between nests. However, 35% of nests had
a closely related neighboring nest, indicating that kinship could
potentially affect the nature of some interactions between nests of this
social parasite. Our findings confirm that ecological forces like host
species selection can shape the genetic structure of parasite populations,
and that such genetic structure has the potential to influence
parasite-parasite interactions in social parasites via inclusive fitness.