Viral diversity and co‐evolutionary dynamics across the ant phylogeny

Abstract

Knowledge of viral biodiversity within insects, particularly within ants, is extremely limited with only a few environmental viruses from invasive ant species identified to date. This study documents and explores the viral communities in ants. We comprehensively profile the metagenomes of a phylogenetically broad group of 35 ant species with varied ecological traits and report the discovery of 3710 novel and unique ant‐associated viral genomes. These previously unknown viruses discovered within this study constitute over 95% of all currently described ant viruses, significantly increasing our knowledge of the ant virosphere. The identified RNA and DNA viruses fill gaps in insect‐associated viral phylogenies and uncover evolutionary histories characterized by both frequent host switching and co‐divergence. Many ants also host diverse bacterial communities, and we discovered that approximately one‐third of these new ant‐associated viruses are bacteriophages. Two ecological categories, bacterial abundance in the host and habitat degradation are both correlated with ant viral diversity and help to structure viral communities within ants. These data demonstrate that the ant virosphere is remarkably diverse phylogenetically and genomically and provide a substantial foundation for studies in virus ecology and evolution within eukaryotes. We highlight the importance of studying insect‐associated viruses in natural ecosystems in order to more thoroughly and effectively understand host‐microbe evolutionary dynamics.