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The increase in international trade and human activities provide ideal long-range transport for a myriad of alien invasives. The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer is not new on the list of invasive species in South Africa as it was first detected in 2012 however its potential impact only became noticeable around 2017.
What is it that makes some alien invasive species successful? Genetics and the environment are both important and untangling the impact of either is a complicated problem. A first step is understanding the genetic make-up of an invasive population and correlating that to things like locomotion (dispersal) or fertility (number of offspring).
In this talk, I show how I have tried to unravel the genetic make-up of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa by screening thousands of beetles collected from all provinces in the country.
With this fine-scale genetic map in hand, I look at how many introduction events have been made into South Africa, and how fast the beetle may be spreading. I also discuss the potential for future introductions and local adaptations of the beetles, which could make them even more of a threat.
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