Genetic Diversity of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae) in Korea and Comparison with COI Sequence Datasets from East Asia, Europe, and North America

The brown marmorated stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys, is an invasive insect pest in North America and Europe that attacks crop species and causes substantial economic damage. To evaluate the genetic diversities and distributions of different H. halys populations in East Asia, North America, and Europe, COI sequences obtained from 79 new specimens from Korea and 10 from the USA were compared with 725 existing COI sequences. In total, 45 haplotypes were detected in populations from 10 countries. Sixteen haplotypes from Korea (H34–H49) and 2 from the USA (H50 and H51) were novel. Korean populations exhibited the 2nd highest diversity among the 10 countries, with only Greece exhibiting higher diversity. Haplotype H22 was prominent in Korea, H1 was prominent in China, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Canada, and USA, and H3 was prominent in France and Switzerland. Of the 18 haplotypes found in Korea, 1 was shared with China (H2) and 1 with Greece (H22). Haplotype diversity patterns showed that Korean populations were genetically distinct from populations in China, Europe, and North America. This suggested that populations in Europe and North America arose through multiple invasions from China and that (with the exception of Greece), Korean populations did not spread to other countries. This study represents a comprehensive analysis of H. halys populations in Korea and places these populations in a global context that includes other native populations in East Asia and invasive populations in Europe and North America.