Multiple origins of Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the Japanese Archipelago and the presence of two major clades in the world: evidence from a molecular approach

A molecular analysis of migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) populations reveals two distinct global clades, with Japanese populations originating from six different sources. One clade includes temperate and cold-temperate regions of Japan and the Chinese continent, while the other encompasses subtropical islands of Japan, Hainan Island, Timor Leste, Australia, Ethiopia, France, and parts of Tsushima and Honshu. The study estimates the divergence between these clades at 0.86–1.89 million years ago (Mya). Japanese populations were found to have multiple origins: Hokkaido populations likely from Russia, Honshu–Kyushu populations from China, Southwest Island populations from Hainan or adjacent areas, Ogasawara populations possibly from Micronesia, part of the Tsushima population from tropical Asia, and a relict southern haplotype in western northern Honshu. The Tsugaru and Tokara Straits have acted as geographical barriers, isolating locust populations for thousands of years.

TOKUDA, M., TANAKA, S., & ZHU, D.-H. (2010). Multiple origins of Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the Japanese Archipelago and the presence of two major clades in the world: evidence from a molecular approach. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 99(3), 570–581. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01386.x