Life Sciences Commons^™

Weak Spatial-Genetic Structure In A Native Invasive, The Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus Frontalis), Across The Eastern United States, Ryan C. Garrick, Ísis C. Arantes, Megan B. Stubbs, Nathan P. Havill

Faculty and Student Publications

The southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis, is a native pest of pine trees that has recently expanded its range into the northeastern United States. Understanding its colonization, dispersal, and connectivity will be critical for mitigating negative economic and ecological impacts in the newly invaded areas. Characterization of spatial-genetic structure can contribute to this; however, previous studies have reached different conclusions about regional population genetic structure, with one study reporting a weak east-west pattern, and the most recent reporting an absence of structure. Here we systematically assessed several explanations for the absence of spatial-genetic structure. To do this, we developed nine …