Major Outbreaks in the Nineteenth Century Shaped Grape Phylloxera Contemporary Genetic Structure in Europe

Grape phylloxera is native to North America, where Vitis spp. acquired different mechanisms of resistance to leaf and root attack. Its appearance in European vineyards at the beginning of the 1860s, where the phylloxera-susceptible grapevine species V. vinifera L. is majorly cultivated, caused the devastation of a great number of vineyards, generating a deep crisis in the European wine production and trade industries. However, the origin and genetic structure of this pest across European vineyards still remain controversial and uncertain. Herein, we analysed the genetic structure of 1173 grape phylloxera individuals collected from 100 locations across eight European countries. Structure and phylogenetic analyses show that contemporary grape phylloxera populations in Europe are the result of at least two independent introductions from the native range that mirrors the historical records that also suggest two major outbreaks in Europe. The comparative analysis with samples from the native range trace back one of these two genetic groups to plants imported from the North East coast of North America, where the American species V. riparia and V. labrusca dominate. This study clarifies the level of genetic diversity of grape phylloxera in Europe and provides relevant information to resolve previous controversy about its origin.