Abstract
We used a population genetic approach to detect the presence of genetic diversity among six populations of Anastrepha fraterculus across Brazil. To this aim, we used Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers, which may capture the presence of differentiative processes across the genome in distinct populations. Spatial analyses of molecular variance were used to identify groups of populations that are both genetically and geographically homogeneous while also being maximally differentiated from each other. The spatial analysis of genetic diversity indicates that the levels of diversity among the six populations vary significantly on an eco-geographical basis. Particularly, altitude seems to represent a differentiating adaptation, as the main genetic differentiation is detected between the two populations present at higher altitudes and the other four populations at sea level. The data, together with the outcomes from different cluster analyses, identify a genetic diversity pattern that overlaps with the distribution of the known morphotypes in the Brazilian area.
Highlights
The South American fruit fly Anastrepha fraterculus Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) belongs to the fraterculus group, which comprises a total of 34 formally described species (Norrbom et al 2012) that can be distinguished only by minor morphological characters
The Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) estimate for each locus ranges from 0.44 (A10a) to 0.88 (A120a), and the across loci average is 0.74, suggesting that this set of loci is informative for population analyses
Tests for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) using Fisher’s exact test with the sequential Bonferroni correction (Rice 1989) revealed that the populations conformed to Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) at most loci
Summary
The South American fruit fly Anastrepha fraterculus Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) belongs to the fraterculus group, which comprises a total of 34 formally described species (Norrbom et al 2012) that can be distinguished only by minor morphological characters. The nominal species A. fraterculus is widely distributed from the Rio Grande Valley in northern Mexico to central Argentina, infesting over 100 hosts (Norrbom 2004), being a species of major economic importance in Brazil and other countries in South America (Steck 1991, Steck 1999, Zucchi 2008). A. fraterculus has long been reported to show extensive morphological variation along its geographic distribution (Lima 1934, Stone 1942, Steck 1991, 1999) In his taxonomic review of the genus Anastrepha, Stone (1942) stated “it is possible that it will eventually be found to represent a complex of species rather than a single one”. The actual number of species within the A. fraterculus complex and their distribution is yet to be elucidated
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