The Population Genetic Structure of Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Northern Hokkaido, Japan, as Estimated Using Microsatellite Polymorphism

Abstract

We examined the genetic structure of Tetranychus kanzawai populations occurring in northern Hokkaido, Japan, and gene flow among the populations using microsatellite DNA markers. Our intrapopulation analysis found that the genetic diversity within each population was small, whereas our interpopulation study revealed that the populations were genetically isolated, though a few population pairs were genetically close. The results show that in this study area, T. kanzawai maintained its population mainly by inbreeding, without frequent interpopulation gene exchange. As a consequence, the genetic diversity within each population was small but the genetic differentiation among populations was large.