Genetics of flight in spongy moths (Lymantria dispar ssp.): functionally integrated profiling of a complex invasive trait
Flight can drastically enhance dispersal capacity and is a key trait defining the potential of exotic insect species to spread and invade new habitats. The phytophagous European spongy moths (ESM, Lymantria dispar dispar) and Asian spongy moths (ASM; a multi–species group represented here by L. d. asiatica and L. d. japonica), are globally invasive species that vary in adult female flight capability—female ASM are typically flight capable, whereas female ESM are typically flightless. Genetic markers of flight capability would supply a powerful tool for flight profiling of these species at any intercepted life stage.
Blackburn GS, Keeling CI, Prunier J, Keena MA, Béliveau C, Hamelin R, Havill NP, Hebert FO, Levesque RC, Cusson M, Porth I. Genetics of flight in spongy moths (Lymantria dispar ssp.): functionally integrated profiling of a complex invasive trait. BMC Genomics. 2024 May 31;25(1):541. doi: 10.1186/s12864-023-09936-8. PMID: 38822259; PMCID: PMC11140922.