insects Article Cryptic Diversity in Colombian Edible Leaf-Cutting Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Pepijn W. Kooij 1,* , Bryn M. Dentinger 2,3, David A. Donoso 4 , Jonathan Z. Shik 5 and Ester Gaya 1 1 Comparative Fungal Biology, Department of Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3DS, UK;
[email protected] 2 Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA;
[email protected] 3 Department of Biology, University of Utah, 201 Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA 4 Departamento de Biología, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Av. Ladrón de Guevara E11-253, Quito 17-01-2759, Ecuador;
[email protected] 5 Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 30 October 2018; Accepted: 7 December 2018; Published: 12 December 2018 Abstract: Leaf-cutting ants are often considered agricultural pests, but they can also benefit local people and serve important roles in ecosystems. Throughout their distribution, winged reproductive queens of leaf-cutting ants in the genus Atta Fabricius, 1804 are consumed as a protein-rich food source and sometimes used for medical purposes. Little is known, however, about the species identity of collected ants and the accuracy of identification when ants are sold, ambiguities that may impact the conservation status of Atta species as well as the nutritional value that they provide to consumers. Here, 21 samples of fried ants bought in San Gil, Colombia, were identified to species level using Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) barcoding sequences.