Geographic isolation and habitat differences as drivers of genetic
differentiation in the Mediterranean and the Middle East Asia Minor 1
Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) populations of Xinjiang, China
Abstract
Invasive alien species are generally highly fertile and adaptable and
can pose a severe threat to the ecological security of invaded
localities. Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is a rapidly evolving cryptic
complex. Among them, Mediterranean (MED) and Middle East–Asia Minor 1
(MEAM1) is the most invasive and widely distributed. To clarify the
invasion source, population structure, and genetic differentiation
drivers of whitefly populations in Xinjiang, China, we collected B.
tabaci from 14 host crops in Xinjiang, China. A total of 453 sequenced
cytochrome c oxidase subunit I(COI) fragments were analysed. We used
common methods and parameters of genetic analysis, such as phylogenetic
analysis, haplotype diversity, and nucleotide diversity, neutrality
testing, and mismatch distribution chart analysis to determine the
genetic structure and genetic differentiation and explore the origin of
the invasion of B. tabaci populations in Xinjiang. The results have
shown that global MED and MEAM1 populations are genetically
differentiated, and MED has a significant geographical lineage structure
at the Xinjiang and global spatial scales. This was the same for the
MEAM1 population at the Xinjiang spatial scale. There have been multiple
local expansions and founder effects in the MED populations. The MEAM1
population has retained a stable population size with a bottleneck
effect. Based on the phylogenetic tree for MED and MEAM1, it has been
demonstrated that there have been multiple points and pathways of
invasion of B. tabaci and the sources in Xinjiang, China were complex.
The sources of MED invasion of MED are likely to be Zhejiang, Hebei, or
Shanxi. The source for MEAM1 is complex, and Zhejiang is one of the main
invasion sources. This study has shown that host plant differences in
open habitats, geographic isolation, and habitat differences were the
driving factors for genetic differentiation of B. tabaci populations in
Xinjiang, China