Research article2022Peer reviewedOpen access
The fast invasion of Europe by the box tree moth: an additional example coupling multiple introduction events, bridgehead effects and admixture events
Bras, Audrey; Lombaert, Eric; Kenis, Marc; Li, Hongmei; Bernard, Alexis; Rousselet, Jerome; Roques, Alain; Auger-Rozenberg, Marie-Anne
Abstract
Identifying the invasion routes of non-native species is crucial to understanding invasions and customizing management strategies. The box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis, is native to Asia and was recently accidentally introduced into Europe as a result of the ornamental plant trade. Over the last 15 years, it has spread across the continent and has reached the Caucasus and Iran. It is threatening Buxus trees in both urban areas and forests. To investigate the species' invasion routes, native and invasive box tree moth populations were sampled, and moth's genetic diversity and structure were compared using microsatellite markers. Our approximate Bayesian computation analyses strongly suggest that invasion pathways were complex. Primary introductions originating from eastern China probably occurred independently twice in Germany and once in the Netherlands. There were also possibly bridgehead effects, where at least three invasive populations may have served as sources for other invasive populations within Europe, with indication of admixture between the two primary invasive populations. The bridgehead populations were likely those in the countries that play a major role in the ornamental plant trade in Europe, notably Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. All these invasion processes likely facilitated its fast expansion across Europe and illustrate the role played by the ornamental plant trade not only in the moth's introduction from China but also in the species' spread across Europe, leading to an invasion with a complex pattern.
Keywords
Cydalima perspectalis; Approximate Bayesian computation; Random forest method; Invasion pathways; Human-mediated dispersal; Ornamental plant trade
Published in
Biological Invasions
2022, Volume: 24, number: 12, pages: 3865-3883
Publisher: SPRINGER
Associated SLU-program
SLU Plant Protection Network
SLU Forest Damage Center
Sustainable Development Goals
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
UKÄ Subject classification
Ecology
Publication identifier
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-022-02887-3
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/118851