Genomic sequences of Tetranychus urticae strains

Strains of Tetranychus urticae were collected and sequenced with the Illumina method to describe genetic diversity in the species and/or its close relatives. The resulting read data allowed genetic diversity to be assessed from alignments to the reference sequence for T. urticae, strain London. While most strains harbored levels of genetic diversity similar to that of previous reports for T. urticae strains, a subset had elevated levels of diversity, reflecting potential deep population differentiation (structure), cryptic species, or possibly sister species. The data set serves, therefore, as a resource to investigate the history of population differentiation for the species (as well as, potentially, cryptic species). The resulting read data was also used to assess variation among strains in transposable element position and movement. Several results from the study are consistent with the movement of DNA transposons in extant T. urticae strains or populations.