Tracie M. Jenkins, jenkinst@uga.edu, The University of Georgia, Entomology, Griffin Campus, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA, Susan C. Jones, jones.1800@osu.edu, The Ohio State University, Entomology, Extension Entomology Building, 1991 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH, Brian T. Forschler, bfor@uga.edu, University of Georgia, Department of Entomology, Athens, GA, and Chow-Yang Lee, chowyang@usm.my, Universiti Sains Malaysia, School of Biological Sciences, Minden, Penang, Penang, Malaysia.
Phylogeny analysis was used to determine the maternal origins of Coptotermes gestroi introductions into the U. S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; Ohio, USA; and Queensland, Australia. A 16S rRNA gene fragment was amplified and sequenced from termites collected in indigenous locations within Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore as well as from the three areas of introduction. A close genetic relationship was revealed between samples of C. gestroi from Singapore and Ohio. The C. gestroi samples from Puerto Rico and Australia were more closely related to the termite samples from Malaysia. Shipping records subsequently substantiated that Malaysia and Singapore were the likely origin of the Australia and Ohio C. gestroi, respectively. These data provide support for using phylogeny analysis of a maternal marker to understand the dispersal history of exotic termites.
Species 1: Isoptera Rhinotermitidae
Coptotermes gestroi (Asian Subterranean Termite)
Keywords: 16S rRNA, exotic invasion
