Collection and ddRadSeq sequencing data for Sitophilus zeamais from Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico

The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, is a ubiquitous pest of maize and
other cereal crops worldwide and remains a threat to food security in
subsistence communities. Few population genetic studies have been
conducted on the maize weevil, but those that exist have shown that there
is very little genetic differentiation between geographically dispersed
populations and that it is likely the species has experienced a recent
range expansion within the last few hundred years. While the previous
studies found little genetic structure, they relied primarily on
mitochondrial and nuclear microsatellite markers for their analyses. It is
possible that more fine-scaled population genetic structure exists due to
local adaptation, the biological limits of natural species dispersal, and
the isolated nature of subsistence farming communities. In contrast to
previous studies, here, we utilized genome-wide single nucleotide
polymorphism data to evaluate the genetic population structure of the
maize weevil from the southern and coastal Mexican states of Oaxaca and
Chiapas. We employed strict SNP filtering to manage large next generation
sequencing lane effects and this study is the first to find fine-scale
genetic population structure in the maize weevil. Here, we show that
although there continues to be gene flow between populations of maize
weevil, that fine-scale genetic structure exists. It is possible that this
structure is shaped by local adaptation of the insects, the movement and
trade of maize by humans in the region, geographic barriers to gene flow,
or a combination of these factors.