Population Structure of German Cockroaches (Blattodea: Ectobiidae) in an Urban Environment Based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms

X. Fan, C. Wang, D. E. Bunker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

German cockroaches (Blattella germanica L.) harbor and disperse medically important pathogens and are a source of allergens that impact human health and wellbeing. Management of this pest requires an understanding of their distribution and dispersal. In this study, we collected German cockroaches from three apartment buildings in New Jersey, USA. We identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from DNA extractions using next generation sequencing. We analyzed the SNPs and characterized cockroach population genetic structure using Fst, principal component, phylogenetic, and STRUCTURE analyses. We found significant differences in German cockroach population structure among the buildings. Within buildings, we found variable population structure that may be evidence for multiple colonization events. This study shows that SNPs derived from next generation sequencing provide a powerful tool for analyzing the genetic population structure of these medically important pests.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1319-1327
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Medical Entomology
Volume59
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2022

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Medicine

Keywords

  • Blattella germanica
  • Genetic population structure
  • Pest management
  • Single-nucleotide polymorphism

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Population Structure of German Cockroaches (Blattodea: Ectobiidae) in an Urban Environment Based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this