Genetic differentiation of the regional Plutella xylostella populations across the Taiwan Strait based on identification of microsatellite markers

Abstract

Movement of individuals through events, such as storms or crop transportation, may affect survival and distribution of insect pests, as well as population genetic structure at a regional scale. Understanding what factors contribute to gene flow in pest populations remains very important for sustainable pest management. The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is an insect pest well known for its capacity of moving over short to long distances. Here, we used newly isolated microsatellite markers to analyze the genetic structure of nine populations across the Taiwan Strait of China (Taiwan and Fujian). A total of 12,152 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were initially identified from the P. xylostella transcriptome (~94 Mb), with an average of 129 SSRs per Mb. Nine SSRs were validated to be polymorphic markers, and eight were used for this population genetic study. Our results showed that the P. xylostella populations could be divided into distinct two clusters, which is likely due to the year‐round airflows in this region. A pattern of isolation by distance among the local populations within Fujian was found, and may be related to vegetable transportation. Considering the complexity of the P. xylostella population genetic structure from local and regional to global levels, we propose that developing ecologically sound strategies for managing this pest will require knowledge of the link between behavioral and population ecology and its genetic structure.

Origin, selection, and spread of diamide insecticide resistance allele in field populations of diamondback moth in east and southeast Asia

“…The restoration of susceptibility, whether it was due to the immigration of susceptible individuals or to fitness cost, can be useful in developing resistant management programs. 65 Strategies to delay the evolution of resistance by temporally restricting the use of insecticides, 84 or by rotating insecticides with different modes of action, 85,86 would be effective. Finally, the risk of diamide resistance was different between overwintering and nonoverwintering regions for P. xylostella, which suggests the importance of different strategies for resistance management in response to overwintering ecology.…”

Temporal sampling and network analysis reveal rapid population turnover and dynamic migration pattern in overwintering regions of a cosmopolitan pest

“…A total of 15 published SSR markers were selected for genotyping ( Esselink et al, 2006 ; Ke et al, 2015 ). The PCR program with three primers based on Schuelke’ method ( Schuelke, 2000 ) was employed.…”

“…In Eastern Asia, mass migration of DBM is known to cross the Bohai Strait, with population density varying with the season and peaking in June and August ( Fu et al, 2014 ). Monsoons ( Ke et al, 2015 ) and typhoons ( Kohno et al, 2004 ) also aid the migration of DBM across the open seas, resulting in their colonization of islands far from the continent. Dosdall et al (2001) suggest that continuously strong winds in North America bring DBM from Southern United States and Mexico into Canada.…”

Herbivore range expansion triggers adaptation in a subsequently-associated third trophic level species and shared microbial symbionts

“…In recent studies of P. xylostella , genetic homogeneity has been found in many populations across Asia-Pacific regions 15–17 . Insect movement due to air currents and transportation of agricultural products have been proposed as the main reasons for high levels of gene flow for P. xylostella 15,16,18–20 .…”