Genetic structure of Curculio elephas Gyll. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) in Greece: an important pest of sweet chestnut

The weevil, Curculio elephas (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), is one of the most abundant and widespread chestnut feeding pests in Greece. Together with the tortricid moths Cydia splendana and C. fagiglandana (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), C. elephas greatly affect chestnut production. This weevil occurs in a continuous range throughout Greece; however, its population structure is unknown. Information concerning its population structure could help in the future control of this pest. A 790 bp portion of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I gene was sequenced for 160 C. elephas larvae from ten populations. Compared to other Curculio species haplotype diversity with 31 haplotypes and nucleotide diversity with six nucleotide substitutions was low. The Bayesian inference of phylogeography in concert with nested clade analysis revealed a loose geographic distribution of genetic diversity that was likely the joint effect of isolation by distance and gene flow. In addition, population indices and Bayesian-based calculations showed that the populations of C. elephas in Greece are at the phase of expansion. Dating the phylogeny suggests about 300,000 years before present as the start of divergence among the populations of C. elephas in Greece.