Matching the Origin of an Invasive Weed for Selection of a Herbivore
Molecular Ecology (2006) 15, 287–297 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02788.x MatchingBlackwell Publishing Ltd the origin of an invasive weed for selection of a herbivore haplotype for a biological control programme JOHN A. GOOLSBY,*† PAUL J. DE BARRO,‡ JEFFREY R. MAKINSON,†,‡ ROBERT W. PEMBERTON,§ DIANA M. HARTLEY¶ and DONALD R. FROHLICH** *United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beneficial Insects Research Unit, 2413 E. Hwy. 83, Weslaco, TX 78596, USA, †United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Australian Biological Control Laboratory, CSIRO Long Pocket Laboratories, Indooroopilly, Queensland 4068, Australia, ‡CSIRO Entomology, Long Pocket Laboratories, 120 Meiers Rd, Indooroopilly, Queensland 4068, Australia, §United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Invasive Plant Research Laboratory, 3205 College Ave. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA, ¶CSIRO Entomology, Black Mountain Laboratories, Clunies Ross St., ACT 2601, Australia, **Department of Biology, University of St Thomas, 3800 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX 77006, USA Abstract The Florida Everglades have been invaded by an exotic weed fern, Lygodium microphyllum. Across its native distribution in the Old World tropics from Africa to Australasia it was found to have multiple location-specific haplotypes. Within this distribution, the climbing fern is attacked by a phytophagous mite, Floracarus perrepae, also with multiple haplotypes. The genetic relationship between mite and fern haplotypes was matched by an overarching geographical relationship between the two. Further, mites that occur in the same location as a particular fern haplotype were better able to utilize the fern than mites from more distant locations. From a biological control context, we are able to show that the weed fern in the Everglades most likely originated in northern Queensland, Australia/Papua New Guinea and that the mite from northern Queensland offers the greatest prospect for control.
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