Data from: The pitcher plant flesh fly exhibits a mixture of patchy and metapopulation attributes

We investigated the pattern of spatial genetic structure and the extent of gene flow in the pitcher plant flesh fly Fletcherimyia fletcheri, the largest member of the inquiline community of the purple pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea. Using microsatellite loci, we tested the theoretical predictions of different hypothesized population models (patchy population, metapopulation or isolated populations) among 11 bogs in Algonquin Provincial Park (Canada). Our results revealed that the pitcher plant flesh fly exhibits a mixture of patchy and metapopulation characteristics. There is significant differentiation among bogs and limited gene flow at larger spatial scales, but local populations do not experience frequent local extinctions/recolonizations. Our findings suggest a strong dispersal ability and stable population sizes in F. fletcheri, providing novel insights into the ecology of this member of a unique ecological microcosm.

本研究针对紫瓶子草（Sarracenia purpurea）寄居群落中的体型最大物种——猪笼草麻蝇（Fletcherimyia fletcheri），探究了其空间遗传结构模式与基因流程度。本研究利用微卫星位点（microsatellite loci），对加拿大阿尔冈金省立公园（Algonquin Provincial Park）内11处沼泽的三类假说种群模型（斑块种群（patchy population）、集合种群（metapopulation）与孤立种群（isolated populations））的理论预测进行了验证。研究结果显示，该猪笼草麻蝇同时兼具斑块种群与集合种群的特征：各沼泽种群间存在显著遗传分化，大空间尺度下基因流有限，但本地种群并未经历频繁的局部灭绝与再定殖事件。本研究结果表明，F. fletcheri具备较强的扩散能力与稳定的种群规模，为这一独特生态微宇宙中该物种的生态学研究提供了全新见解。