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Genetic split between coastal and continental populations of gypsy moth separated by D inaric A lps
Author(s) -
Lacković N.,
Bertheau C.,
Stauffer C.,
Pernek M.,
Avtzis D.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0931-2048
DOI - 10.1111/jen.12207
Subject(s) - biology , ecology , gypsy moth , deciduous , range (aeronautics) , outbreak , population , genetic structure , isolation by distance , zoology , genetic variation , lepidoptera genitalia , gene , demography , biochemistry , materials science , virology , sociology , composite material
Abstract The gypsy moth, a polyphagous herbivore species, infests mainly deciduous trees in the northern hemisphere, being invasive in North America. In Croatia, gypsy moth is infesting both continental and coastal forests, with the Dinaric Alps posing a physical migratory barrier between two regions. During outbreaks, caterpillars cause severe damages in both regions, though with different outbreak dynamics, which suggests genetic differences between populations. Representative populations from these two regions were screened by sequencing a region of the mitochondrial COI gene. Ninety‐nine sequences resulted in seventeen haplotypes, and analyses revealed a significant genetic differentiation between coastal and continental populations, quite likely attributed to geographic isolation and post‐glacial history. This differentiation arises from significantly higher genetic variability in Mediterranean population, indicating their higher adaptability, an intriguing fact in case of possible northward range shift of gypsy moth.