Phylogeography of Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata): inferring the history of an agricultural pest

The Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata is considered one of the most devastating pests of potato worldwide. Despite being a voracious feeder of potato in temperate agricultural potato fields, the beetle does not feed on potato in the central highlands of Mexico where it originates. Beetle populations in Mexico display a considerable amount of phenotypic variation, so it is unclear which populations may have given rise to the pest populations. We will sequence mtDNA of Mexican and U.S. L. decemlineata populations in order to determine ancestry of pest beetle population. A molecular phylogeny will be developed with mtDNA data using Maximum Likelihood and distance-based estimates to determine the phylogenetic relationships between the beetle populations found in the United States and Mexico. Research pertaining to the geographic origin and number of founders responsible for the establishment of the CPB pest population from Mexico into the United States may provide important information to assist in the development of biologically based management practices for the beetle as well as contributing to our knowledge of past ecological radiation and evolutionary development.