Invasion genetics of American cherry fruit fly in Europe and signals of hybridization with the European cherry fruit fly

The American cherry fruit fly is an invasive pest species in Europe, of serious concern in tart cherry productionaswellasforthepotentialtohybridizewiththeEuropeancherryfruitfly,Rhagoletiscerasi L. (Diptera: Tephritidae), which might induce new pest dynamics. In the first European reports, the question arose whether only the eastern American cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is present, or also the closely related western American cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran. In this study, we investigate the species status of European populations by comparing these with populations of both American species from their native ranges, the invasion dynamic…