Fine-scale landscape genomics reveals asymmetric gene flow in invasive tiger mosquito populations

Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, is an invasive species now established across much of North America, Europe, and beyond, and acts as a vector for dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses. While the global dispersal history of the species is well characterised, how fine-scale urban landscape features influence local gene flow and population connectivity has remained unclear.

A preprint posted to bioRxiv reports findings from a landscape genomics study that used genome-wide data to examine dispersal patterns of Ae. albopictus populations at fine spatial scales. The researchers found that gene flow between populations is asymmetric — that is, movement and genetic exchange is directional rather than uniform — and that heterogeneous urban land-use features appear to shape these patterns. Populations in artificial container-rich urban and suburban environments can reach high densities, and understanding local dispersal dynamics has potential relevance for vector control programme design.

The preprint has not yet been peer-reviewed. The study contributes to a body of work on how genomic methods can inform understanding of invasive species spread, and may be of interest to researchers working at the intersection of population genetics, vector biology, and public health entomology.