Aedes aegypti in North America (Microsatellite and SNP array)

The Aedes aegypti mosquito first invaded the Americas about 500 years ago and today is a widely distributed invasive species and the primary vector for viruses causing dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. Here we test the hypothesis that the North American colonization by Ae. aegypti occurred via a series of founder events. We present findings on genetic diversity, structure, and demographic history using data from 70 Ae. aegypti populations in North America genotyped at 12 microsatellite loci and/or ~20,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the largest genetic study of the region to date. We find evidence consistent with a colonization driven by serial founder effect (SFE), with Florida as the putative source for a series of westward invasions. This scenario was supported by 1) a decrease in the genetic diversity of Ae. aegypti populations moving west, 2) a correlation between pairwise genetic and geographic distances, and 3) demographic analysis based on allele frequenci...