Reporting the possibility of invasive populations of Anoplophora spp. in Korea

Abstract

In Korea, two species, Anoplophora chinensis and Anoplophora glabripennis, have been recorded until now. Recently, outbreaks of Anoplophora spp. were reported locally in Seoul, Ulsan, Incheon, Gimhae, and Jeonju from 2015 to 2017. In this study, Anoplophora spp. were collected in the four regions, Ulsan, Incheon, Gimhae, and Jeonju, and their morphological and molecular characteristics were compared with those of Anoplophora spp. collected from several local regions. In A. glabripennis, indigenous populations (A10∼A12, Pochoen) revealed genetic differences of an average 1.58% from putative invasive populations (A1∼A7, Ulsan/Gimhae; A8∼A9, Incheon; A18∼A20, Jeonju). In A. chinensis, indigenous populations (A13∼A15, Suncheon/Goheung/Pocheon) showed genetic differences of an average 1.2% from putative invasive populations (A16∼A17, Ulsan). In a neighbor-joining tree, A. glabripennis was separated into two groups, Ulsan/Gimhae/Incheon/Jeonju and Pocheon populations, and A. chinensis was divided into two groups, Ulsan and Suncheon/Goheung/Pocheon populations. Twelve COI sequences of the Incheon/Gimhae/Ulsan/Jeonju populations in A. glabripennis were identical to KY357648, KY357652, and KY357651, and two COI sequences of Ulsan populations in A. chinensis were identical to AB439163. These sequences were generated from Chinese and Japanese Anoplophora samples by foreign researchers, suggesting the possibility of the invasion of Chinese and Japanese populations of Anoplophora spp. into Korea.