Successful doctorate by Daniela Mera-Rodríguez on the evolution of social parasitism in ants [25.07.25]
Daniela Mera-Rodríguez successfully defended her doctoral thesis entitled “Biogeography and evolution of social parasitism in Acromyrmex leaf-cutting and Myrmecia bulldog ants” at the University of Hohenheim in May 2025. She has now been awarded her doctorate by the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Hohenheim.
Daniela Mera-Rodríguez defended her dissertation in front of her supervisor Prof. Dr. Christian Rabeling (University of Hohenheim), her committee members Prof. Dr. Georg Petschenka (University of Hohenheim) and Prof. Dr. Lars Krogmann (State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart) and the representative of the department of Natural sciences Prof. Dr. Philipp Schlüter.
The evolutionary biologist devoted her research to the systematic and phylogenetic study of parasitic ant species in two ecologically and evolutionarily significant genera: Acromyrmex and Myrmecia. Her dissertation focused on understanding the evolutionary history, biogeography, and origins of social parasitism in these groups.
In the genus Myrmecia, special attention was given to the social parasite Myrmecia inquilina, which evolved directly from its host Myrmecia nigriceps in sympatry. In parallel, she investigated the Acromyrmex octospinosus species complex, resolving a long-standing taxonomic debate and showing that the inquiline parasite Acromyrmex insinuator also originated in sympatry from its host A. octospinosus.
Using modern methods of phylogenomics and historical biogeography, Daniela Mera-Rodríguez provided new insights into the diversification and distribution history of these ants. Her findings have been published in journals such as Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution and Systematic Entomology.The doctoral thesis was made financially possible by the University of Hohenheim in Germany, the Arizona State University (ASU) in the United States, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, the Social Insect Research Group at ASU (SIRG), The National Science Foundation in the United States, and the Carl-Zeiss Foundation in Germany.
The PhD biologist with a passion for the diversity and evolution of social insects will continue to work in science and plans to continue her research in the field of taxonomy and evolution in social insects.
With the successful completion of her dissertation, another outstanding doctorate has been awarded within the KomBioTa network. We would like to congratulate Daniela Mera-Rodríguez and wish her all the best for the future - both scientifically and personally!
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