Population genetic structure of Nantucket pine tip moth.

Variation at polymorphic isozyme loci was analyzed in Nantucket pine tip moth (NPTM) populations from 5 geographic locations. At the North Carolina location, populations representing 3 generations at 3 local sites were also studied. Four of the loci investigated (LAP, MDH, α-GPDH and AK), although variable, had few alleles per locus (3-5) and few differences among populations in allele frequencies. At each locus, all populations had the same allele at a high frequency.At the PGM locus, fifteen alleles were identified and allelic frequencies varied among populations. At least eight alleles were present within a population and, in most populations, two or more alleles had high frequencies that differed among populations. An excess of homozygotes over Hardy-Weinberg expectations was found for 7 out of the 10 populations studied, indicating the probable existence of some form of inbreeding structure or populational subdivision within sampled stands.Joint consideration of the results observed for PGM and the other four loci is counterindicative of neutrality at all loci and strongly indicative of genetic differentiation among locally disjunct populations.