SNP datasets from invasive Bombus terrestris on Tasmania, Australia

Invasive species are predicted to adjust their morphological, physiological, and life-history traits to adapt to their non-native environments. Although a loss of genetic variation during invasion may restrict local adaptation, introduced species often thrive in novel environments. Despite being founded by just a few individuals, the bumblebee Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae) has successfully spread across the island of Tasmania (Australia) in less than 30 years, becoming abundant and competitive with native pollinators. We use RADseq to investigate what neutral and adaptive genetic processes associated with environmental and morphological variation allow B. terrestris to thrive as an invasive species in Tasmania. Across 15 sites, we found high gene flow with low genetic diversity, significant isolation-by-distance, and spatial variation in effective migration rates. A longitudinal band of restricted migration was evident across the mid-central region of Tasmania, corresponding t...