In biological invasions, multiple paternity can preserve genetic diversity over time and space and contribute to invasion success. Therefore, knowledge on the mating system of invasive species is essential to develop adequate management practices to mitigate their impact on ecosystems. The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White, 1845), is an invasive pest that has colonized more than 10 eastern US states in less than 10 yr. Multiple paternity may contribute to its success, but little is known about spotted lanternfly’s mating system. We explored the mating system using mated females and female–egg mass pairs sampled in the field. First, we assessed the existence of multiple mating by counting the number of spermatophores in the genital tract of all females. Second, we searched for genetic evidence for multiple paternity within egg masses by genotyping the female–egg mass pairs at 7 microsatellite loci. Third, we assessed whether multiple mating was correlated with female traits and distance from the introduction site. One to 3 spermatophores per female were found during dissections, confirming the existence of polyandrous female spotted lanternfly. We found genetic evidence for a minimum of 2 fathers in 4 egg masses associated with polyandrous females, validating multiple paternity in spotted lanternfly. Multiple paternity was associated with egg mass size, and multiple paternity was highest in populations closest to the original introduction site and decreased toward the invasion front. Multiple paternity may contribute to the invasion success of spotted lanternfly, and control efforts should consider the mating system and the implications of its spatial patterns.

中文翻译：

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入侵性斑点灯笼蝇的多重亲子关系（半翅目：Fulgoridae）

在生物入侵中，多重亲子关系可以随着时间和空间的推移保留遗传多样性，并有助于入侵的成功。因此，有关入侵物种交配系统的知识对于制定适当的管理措施以减轻其对生态系统的影响至关重要。斑点灯笼蝇（Lycorma delicatula，White，1845）是一种入侵害虫，在不到 10 年的时间里已经在美国东部 10 多个州定居。多重亲子关系可能有助于其成功，但人们对斑点灯笼蝇的交配系统知之甚少。我们利用现场采集的交配雌性和雌性-卵质量对来探索交配系统。首先，我们通过计算所有雌性生殖道中精子的数量来评估多重交配的存在。其次，我们通过对 7 个微卫星位点的雌性-卵块对进行基因分型，寻找卵块内多重亲子关系的遗传证据。第三，我们评估了多次交配是否与雌性特征和距引入地点的距离相关。解剖过程中发现每只雌性有 1 到 3 个精囊，证实了一妻多夫雌性斑灯笼蝇的存在。我们发现了与一妻多夫雌性相关的 4 个卵团中至少有 2 个父亲的遗传证据，验证了斑点灯笼蝇的多重父子关系。多重亲子关系与卵块大小相关，并且多重亲子关系在最接近原始引入地点的群体中最高，并且在接近入侵前沿时下降。多重亲子关系可能有助于斑灯笼蝇的入侵成功，控制工作应考虑交配系统及其空间模式的影响。