Genetics revealed the secrets of the success of Colorado beetles
MOSCOW, 31 Jan — RIA Novosti. American genetics were first decoded the DNA of the Colorado beetles. They gave her a few genes which are responsible for unusually rapid adaptation of these insects to a new climate and ecology, said in an article published in the journal Scientific Reports.
“Interestingly, we failed to find significant differences in the structure of genes responsible for resistance to insecticides among Colorado potato beetles and other insects. It seems that they have acquired this capacity not by the emergence of new genes or genome rearrangements. All this makes this mystery even more interesting to explore,” says Sean Sowell from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
The Colorado beetle is one of the first invasive insect species. They are spread throughout the United States and Canada in the late 19th century, and then “migrated” along with supplies of the American army in France at the end of the First world war and in Germany after world war II.
The first attempts to destroy them with pesticides ended in failure — the bugs quickly adapt to the poison. Pest control is complicated by the fact that they have no natural “enemies” outside the United States.