Reference genome of the kidnapper ant, <i>Polyergus mexicanus</i>

Polyergus kidnapper ants are widely distributed, but relatively uncommon, throughout the Holarctic, spanning an elevational range from sea level to over 3,000 m. These species are well known for their obligate social parasitism with various Formica ant species, which they kidnap in dramatic, highly coordinated raids. Kidnapped Formica larvae and pupae become integrated into the Polyergus colony where they develop into adults and perform nearly all of the necessary colony tasks for the benefit of their captors. In California, Polyergus mexicanus is the most widely distributed Polyergus, but recent evidence has identified substantial genetic polymorphism within this species, including genetically divergent lineages associated with the use of different Formica host species. Given its unique behavior and genetic diversity, P. mexicanus plays a critical role in maintaining ecosystem balance by influencing the population dynamics and genetic diversity of its host ant species, Formica, highlighting its conservation value and importance in the context of biodiversity preservation. Here, we present a high-quality genome assembly of P. mexicanus from a sample collected in Plumas County, CA, United States, in the foothills of the central Sierra Nevada. This genome assembly consists of 364 scaffolds spanning 252.31 Mb, with contig N50 of 481,250 kb, scaffold N50 of 10.36 Mb, and Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) completeness of 95.4%. We also assembled the genome of the Wolbachia endosymbiont of P. mexicanus-a single, circular contig spanning 1.23 Mb. These genome sequences provide essential resources for future studies of conservation genetics, population genetics, speciation, and behavioral ecology in this charismatic social insect.