Pervasive heteroplasmy in an invasive ambrosia beetle (Scolytinae) in southern California

Heteroplasmy, the presence of multiple distinct mitochondrial genotypes (mitotypes) within an individual, has long been thought to be a rare aberrance that is quickly removed by selection or drift. However, heteroplasmy is being reported in natural populations of eukaryotes with increasing frequency, in part due to the development of better diagnostic molecular methods. Here, we report a seemingly stable heteroplasmic state in California populations of the polyphagous shothole borer (PSHB), Euwallacea fornicatus; an exotic invasive ambrosia beetle that is causing significant tree dieback. We develop and validate a qPCR assay that utilizes novel locked nucleic acid probes to detect different mitotypes, and qualitatively assess heteroplasmy in individual PSHB. We prove the utility of this assay by: a) mitotyping field-collected PSHB to document the prevalence of heteroplasmy across its invasive range in southern California; and, b) measuring relative titers of eac h mitotype across multip..., Flurescence data collected via Rotor-Gene Q, from qPCR assays utilizing LNA probes to detect two competing mitotypes (alleles) in single individuals., , # Pervasive heteroplasmy in an invasive ambrosia beetle (Scolytinae) in southern California

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.w0vt4b924](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.w0vt4b924)

## Description of the data and file structure

Study of heteroplasmy in California populations of the polyphagous shothole borer (PSHB), *Euwallacea fornicatus*. Data is presented in a single Excel workbook, across four sheets (tabs). All fluorescence data was collected using the green and yellow channels on a QIAGEN Rotor Gene Q.

Sheet 1: Validation of LNA assay - DNA extractions from two colonies with differing but pure mitotypes (H33 and H35) were used to make a series of mixes in the following ratios (H33:H35); 95:5, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 30:70, 20:80, 10:90, and 5:95. These mixes were then used to test the ability of the LNA-probe assay to qualitatively discriminate different relative titers. Data is presented in 8 columns

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A - RUN; the assay was validated in it's entirety three tim...