Phylogeography of Monochamus galloprovincialis, the European vector of the pinewood nematode

We reconstructed the phylogeography of European populations of Monochamus galloprovincialis (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), the European vector of the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. This study investigated the Quaternary history of M. galloprovincialis and tested whether environmental parameters and/or host tree species influenced the genetic structure of M. galloprovincialis populations. Twelve polymorphic microsatellite loci and a Bayesian analysis were applied to 1098 individuals of M. galloprovincialis from 45 European locations. The continental populations formed five main genetic clusters, typical of postglacial recolonization routes observed for temperate biota associated with pine trees. The distribution of clusters formed boundaries along mountain ranges, indicating a potential role of elevation as a large-scale barrier to dispersal for this species. The correlation between environmental parameters and the distribution of genetic clusters of M. galloprovincialis was investigated using a partial redundancy analysis and showed an effect of precipitation rather than host tree species. From an applied perspective, these results suggest that climatic conditions and elevation may constitute barriers to the dispersal of M. galloprovincialis and the associated PWN.