Genetic structure of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros)

We investigated Oryctes rhinoceros population genetics of adult specimens collected in five different South Pacific Island countries (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga). We found three major mitochondrial lineages based on the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) in the mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit I (CoxI) gene, detecting the previously described CRB-G, South Pacific (CRB-S) and PNG (CRB-PNG) haplotype groups. Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) showed divergence of the O. rhinoceros nuclear genome among different geographical populations. More than 10,000 snps were genotyped in approximately 230 insects across the Pacific.