Journal article
Cities as evolutionary incubators for the global spread of the spotted lanternfly
Proceedings of the Royal Society B : Biological Sciences, v 293(2064), 20252292
04 Feb 2026
PMID: 41633515
Abstract
Habitat destruction and invasive species pose two of the greatest global threats to biodiversity. These factors do not operate in isolation, and nowhere is their interaction more apparent than in urban environments. Urban organisms rapidly evolve under novel ecological circumstances where they also encounter anthropogenic opportunities for range expansion. We examine the role of urbanization in the invasive success of the spotted lanternfly, an emerging global pest, during its colonization and expansion. We demonstrate that the invasive population in the United States has undergone three sequential bottlenecks, resulting in significantly reduced genetic diversity and elevated inbreeding. The success of this invasive population may be partly attributable to adaptation in the native range before the invasion. We detect divergence between urban and rural lanternflies in Shanghai, China (the invasion origin), in genes related to stress response, metabolism and detoxification pathways. Additionally, we detect genomic signatures of selection in the invasive population, suggesting adaptive refinement as the invasion progresses. This study provides evidence of adaptive evolution in response to urbanization despite substantial loss of genetic diversity and implicates adaptive responses to pesticide application, dietary shifts, and climate in the invasive success of the spotted lanternfly.
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Details
- Title
- Cities as evolutionary incubators for the global spread of the spotted lanternfly
- Creators
- Fang Meng (Corresponding Author) - New York UniversityAnthony A. Snead - New York UniversityAria Yang Zhang - New York University ShanghaiJason Munshi-South - Drexel UniversityKristin M. Winchell - New York University
- Publication Details
- Proceedings of the Royal Society B : Biological Sciences, v 293(2064), 20252292
- Publisher
- Royal Soc London
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001689193400001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105029511727
- Other Identifier
- 991022197288904721