Polymorphism of invasive and native Harmonia axyridis populations on the mitochondrial atp-6 gene

Abstract: A study of 11 populations (3 native, 8 invasive) of Harmonia axyridis was carried out to assess the genetic structure of native versus invasive H. axyridis. The populations of the eastern and western parts of the native range differ in the frequencies of the two haplotypes. In all invasive populations, haplotype diversity is reduced when compared with populations of the native part of the range. The ratio of the main atp-6 haplotypes persists in the invasive populations of Europe as the range extends from west to east. In the H. axyridis genome, an ancient form of the atp-6 gene was transferred to the nuclear genome, which is represented with a high frequency in the mitochondrial genome of H. axyridis from the western population group.