Population genetics of the North American sexual and asexual forms of the bark louse Peripsocus subfasciatus

The bark louse Peripsocus subfasciatus exhibits both sexual and asexual forms. In Europe and most of eastern North America, the species is entirely asexual, whereas populations on the northwest coast of the United States are sexual. In addition, males are known from an isolated locality in western Indiana. COI and 12S mtDNA sequences were analyzed to investigate the phylogeographic relationships of the two sexual forms and the North American asexuals. Preliminary data have found evidence of a deep genetic split dividing the species into two major clades. These clades, however, do not correspond to a sexual versus asexual split. Previous work showed that the bark louse Echmepteryx hageni, also with isolated sexual populations, has reduced genetic diversity among sexuals, and high diversity among asexuals. Genetic data from P. subfasciatus will also be analyzed to determine if they have a similar pattern of genetic diversity.