Bridgehead effect and multiple introductions shape the global invasion history of a termite.

ABSTRACT: Native to eastern Asia, the Formosan subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus (Shiraki) is recognized as one of the 100 worst invasive pests in the world, with established populations in Japan, Hawaii and the southeastern United States. Despite its importance, the native source(s) of C. formosanus introductions and their invasive pathway out of Asia remain elusive. Using ~22,000 SNPs, we retraced the invasion history of this species through approximate Bayesian computation and assessed the consequences of the invasion on its genetic patterns and demography. We show a complex invasion history, where an initial introduction to Hawaii resulted from two distinct introduction events from eastern Asia and the Hong Kong region. The admixed Hawaiian population subsequently served as the source,

SUBMITTER: Blumenfeld AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7881189 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature