Meta-analysis reveals asymmetric reduction in the genetic diversity of introduced populations of exotic insects

Cheng, Daifeng; Liang, Guangwen; Xu, Yijuan

doi:10.1007/s10530-016-1058-9

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Our findings indicate a strong genetic bottleneck for V. germanica and V. vulgaris in their invaded range of New Zealand and suggest that New Zealand populations were founded by a small number of individuals. The reduction of genetic diversity through bottleneck effects in invasive Vespula wasps is in line with studies on other invasive social wasps (Goodisman et al 2001;Husseneder et al 2012;Tsuchida et al 2014;Arca et al 2015;Chau et al 2015;Cheng et al 2016;Takeuchi et al 2017).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…There are well-known examples of bottleneck effects in populations of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, which is invasive in the United States (Vargo and Husseneder 2009;Husseneder et al 2012). The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, successfully invaded parts of Europe, South Africa, the United States, and New Zealand despite displaying low levels of genetic diversity (Tsutsui et al 2000;Giraud et al 2002;Suarez et al 2008;Cheng et al 2016). Allelic richness in Argentine ant colonies was reduced by 55.5% in Hawaii (Tsutsui and Case 2001) and 40% in New Zealand (Corin et al 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lack of genetic structuring, low effective population sizes and major bottlenecks characterise common and German wasps in New Zealand

et al. 2019

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Invasive species cause severe ecological and economic impacts in their introduced ranges. Vespula wasps, native to Eurasia, are a major threat to New Zealand native ecosystems. Understanding factors that influence the success of wasp invasion is pivotal for the development of control strategies. Here, we compare genetic diversity and structure of Vespula germanica and Vespula vulgaris between regions of their native and introduced ranges using microsatellite markers. Our study found lower diversity and lack of genetic structure for both invasive Vespula species within New Zealand. The significant reduction in allelic richness, gene diversity and effective population size illustrate a major bottleneck in New Zealand V. germanica and V. vulgaris populations. Strong signatures of population structure were found for both Vespula species with two clusters being identified as optimal k, approximately corresponding to the native and the invaded ranges. Our results highlight the fact that the lack of genetic diversity does not impede successful invasions in V. germanica and V. vulgaris and encourage further research into mechanisms that promote the success of invasive social insects. Overall, this study provides insights into the genetics of invasive Vespula wasps that can be useful for the development of efficient management strategies.

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