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Identifying the geographic origins of invasive Megathyrsus maximus in the United States using molecular data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 May 2022

John F. Gaskin Open the ORCID record for John F. Gaskin [Opens in a new window] ,
John A. Goolsby Open the ORCID record for John A. Goolsby [Opens in a new window] ,
Marie-Claude Bon Open the ORCID record for Marie-Claude Bon [Opens in a new window] ,
Massimo Cristofaro Open the ORCID record for Massimo Cristofaro [Opens in a new window]  and
Paul-André Calatayud Open the ORCID record for Paul-André Calatayud [Opens in a new window]
John F. Gaskin*
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Sidney, MT, USA
John A. Goolsby
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Edinburg, TX, USA
Marie-Claude Bon
Affiliation:
European Biological Control Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Montferrier le Lez, France
Massimo Cristofaro
Affiliation:
Biotechnology and Biological Control Agency (BBCA onlus), Rome, Italy
Paul-André Calatayud
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya; IRD, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
*
Author for correspondence: John F. Gaskin, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Sidney, MT59270. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Megathyrsus maximus is nonnative in the neotropics, with a tall form that is commonly used as a forage grass and a smaller-statured form that is considered invasive in south Texas, USA. Biological control researchers are challenged to find an agent that will attack the short form, but not the desirable tall form in other parts of the neotropics. We conducted molecular analyses on 155 Megathyrsus maximus samples from its native range in Africa and compared them with U.S. short-form samples to help determine the geographic origins of its invasion. We found eight distinct genotypes in 34 short-form samples from Texas and Florida, USA. The highest genetic similarity of invasive samples was with plants from South Africa, while highest matches for the desirable tall form were from Kenya, Uganda, Ivory Coast, and Zambia. Ongoing biological control agent exploration and research has found agents from Kenya that are associated with an M. maximus genotype not well matched to the invasive short form, thus leading to a lack of rearing success. Two eriophyoid mite agents from the genetic match locality in South Africa have been evaluated but are not sufficiently host specific, as they develop on both the short and tall forms. Additional exploration is needed at the genetic match populations in South Africa to discover and evaluate potential biological control agents for the invasive form of M. maximus.

Keywords

AFLPbiological controlcpDNA sequencingGuineagrassUrochloa maxima
Type
Research Article
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , June 2022 , pp. 67 - 71
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Creative Commons
This is a work of the US Government and is not subject to copyright protection within the United States. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Weed Science Society of America.
Copyright
© United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2022

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Footnotes

Associate Editor: Marie Jasieniuk, University of California, Davis

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