Mitochondrial DNA polymorphism in invasive and native populations of Harmonia axyridis

Abstract

The Asian ladybird beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is one of the most invasive insects in the world. Originally introduced into the USA and Europe for the biological control of pest insects, it has recently gained the status of an invasive species. There is little data on the differences between invasive and non-invasive populations at the genetic level. In this research mtDNA sequences of the COI gene from specimens of native and non-native populations were compared. The results indicate that individuals from invasive populations are similar to those from Far Eastern native populations.