Paths of introduction: Assessing global colonization history of the most successful amphibian invader

Abstract

International socioeconomic relationships form the background that underlies the history of invasive species. Species with economic value, such as the North American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), are more likely to become internationally distributed and to be subsequently introduced to non-native areas and, consequently, become more difficult to control. Using population genetics methods, we investigated the invasion pathways, the connectivity among clusters in different countries and the native population of origin of globally introduced bullfrog populations. Throughout the analysis of seven microsatellite nuclear loci, one fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b locus, and historical information, four main lineages were identified and analyzed along with previous findings. This species’ capability to colonize several countries from few starting lineages highlights the necessity to control new propagule pressure to ensure successful management programs, as high inbreeding and bottleneck effect seem not to diminish the invasive success of this species. There is a consensus between markers that most areas of South America belong to the same genetic population while populations in Asia have a more complex history of introduction.

Invariant and vulnerable food web components after bullfrog invasion

“…The American bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw 1802), is an aquatic amphibian categorized as one of the most dangerous invasive species worldwide (Kumschick et al 2017;Jorgewich-Cohen et al 2020). It is a species with a complex life cycle, so its invasion implies the addition of at least two trophospecies to native communities: post-metamorphs and larvae (which typically overwinter in permanent ponds).…”