Genomic and transcriptome study of Vollenhovia emeryi

Myrmicine Japanese ant Vollenhovia emeryi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is found in forest areas throughout Japan. Several live colonies of V. emeryi were collected in US recently, indicate that this species has succeeded to spread and establish populations in new areas. It is know that V. emeryi species shows extraordinal reproduction system as same as other Myrmicine ant, Wasmannia auropunctata and Formicinae ant Paratrechina longicornis. Queens and males are produced with only maternal and paternal genomes, respectively, whereas sterile workers are produced sexually. Our goal of the genomic and transcriptome study is to understand the genomic basis for the evolution of this unusual reproduction system with androgenetic male production, and figure out sex and caste determination systems.