Influence of historical land use and modern agricultural expansion on the spatial and ecological divergence of sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Brazil.

ABSTRACT: Human-mediated changes in landscapes can facilitate niche expansion and accelerate the adaptation of insect species. The interaction between the evolutionary history of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis Fabricius, and historical and modern agricultural activity in Brazil shaped its spatial genetic structure, facilitating ecological divergence and incipient host shifting. Based on microsatellite data, STRUCTURE analyses identified two (K = 2) and three (K = 3) significant genetic clusters that corresponded to: (a) a strong signal of spatial genetic structure and, (b) a cryptic signal of host differentiation. We inferred that K = 2 reflects the footprint of agricultural activity, such as expansion of crop production (sugarcane and maize), unintentional dispersion of pests, and manage

SUBMITTER: Pavinato VAC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5837133 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature