Abstract
The rapid pace of conversion of natural areas to agricultural systems is highly concerning, and the consequences for conservation and pest management are not yet fully understood. We examined mitochondrial (COI and Cytb) and nuclear (ITS1) gene regions of 21 populations of the stink bug Euschistus heros, to investigate the genetic diversity, genetic structure, and demographic history of this emerging soybean pest in South America. Two deep lineages that diverged in the Pliocene (4.5 Myr) occur over wide areas of Brazil. Historical changes during the Plio-Pleistocene led to significant genetic differences between E. heros populations, which differentiated further in several biomes. The northern lineage is older, more diverse, and prevalent in the Amazon and Caatinga, while the southern lineage is younger, less diverse, and prevalent in the Atlantic Forest and Chaco biomes. Euschistus heros populations are expanding in size and range but at different rates, strongly affected by environmental variables. Secondary contact between the main lineages is now occurring, mainly in areas of intensive farming and particularly in the Cerrado, an important agricultural frontier. Individuals adapted to different environmental conditions and to large monocultures might currently be combining into a panmictic and hard-to-control pest population.