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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Newark, Delaware » Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #403729
Research Project: Genetics and Genomics of Introduced Species for Biological Control of Invasive Species

Location: Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit

Title: Genome divergence and reproductive incompatibility among populations of Ganaspis near brasiliensis

Author
item Hopper, Keith
item Wang, Xingeng
item KENIS, MARC - Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau International (CABI) - Switzerland
item SEEHAUSEN, LUKAS - Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau International (CABI) - Switzerland
item ABRAM, PAUL - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item DAANE, KENT - University Of California Berkeley
item Buffington, Matthew
item HOELMER, KIM - Collaborator
item KINGHAM, BREWSTER - Delaware Biotechnology Institute
item SHEVCHENKO, OLGA - Delaware Biotechnology Institute
item BERNBERG, ERIN - Delaware Biotechnology Institute

Submitted to: G3, Genes/Genomes/Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/12/2024
Publication Date: 5/8/2024
Citation: Hopper, K.R., Wang, X., Kenis, M., Seehausen, L., Abram, P., Daane, K.M., Buffington, M.L., Hoelmer, K.A. 2024. Genome divergence and reproductive incompatibility among populations of Ganaspis near brasiliensis. G3, Genes/Genomes/Genetics. jkae090:1-13. https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkae090.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkae090

Interpretive Summary: During the last decade, the spotted-wing drosophila, SWD, has spread from eastern Asia to the Americas, Europe, and Africa. This fly attacks many species of cultivated and wild fruits with soft, thin skins, where its serrated ovipositor allows it to lay eggs in undamaged fruit. Parasitoids from the native range of SWD may provide sustainable management of this highly mobile, polyphagous pest by controlling fly populations at the landscape level. We compared genomes and reproductive isolation between populations of Ganaspis near brasiliensis, one of which is more host-specific to SWD. The combined evidence shows that there are at least two cryptic species. The species with the narrow host range should be introduced into the USA to control SWD.

Technical Abstract: During the last decade, the spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, has spread from eastern Asia to the Americas, Europe, and Africa. This fly attacks many species of cultivated and wild fruits with soft, thin skins, where its serrated ovipositor allows it to lay eggs in undamaged fruit. Parasitoids from the native range of D. suzukii may provide sustainable management of this highly mobile, polyphagous pest by controlling fly populations at the landscape level. Among these parasitoids, host-specificity testing has revealed a lineage of Ganaspis near brasiliensis more host-specific to D. suzukii than other species. This lineage appears to be a cryptic species near G. brasiliensis. Here we present results on divergence in genomic sequences and reproductive isolation between this cryptic species of Ganaspis near brasiliensis. We studied five populations, two from China, two from Japan, and one from Canada, identified as the G1 versus G3 lineages based on differences in COI sequences. We assembled and annotated the genomes of these populations, and analyzed sequence divergence between them. Finally, we report results from crosses to test reproductive compatibility between the G3 lineage from China and the G1 lineage from Japan. The combined evidence of differences in the assemblies and annotations of the G1 and G3 lineages and their reproductive incompatibility shows that they are different species.