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This article explores the history of the invasive plant species Rhodomyrtus tomentosa in Florida and Hawaii. The authors stress the importance of understanding the biology and introduction of such species to develop effective regulation strategies. They trace the importation history of R. tomentosa through taxonomic research and historical records, including horticultural catalogs and herbarium specimens. The article provides information on the taxonomy, common names, and earliest record of R. tomentosa in Florida. It also discusses the distribution and cultivation of the plant in specific counties during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ongoing genetic investigations are being conducted to determine the presence of different varieties and hybrids in Florida. The article references two documents, one providing an inventory of plant materials introduced by the Bureau of Plant Industry in 1937, and another being a publication by R. Wight in 1846. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: Understanding the genetic structure of plants in their native range is crucial when reconstructing the invasion history of weeds. This information allows researchers to pinpoint the provenance of invasive plants and to test the importance of genetic admixture in facilitating invasion success. We assessed genetic structuring across the native range of A. auriculiformis, to determine whether genetic admixture contributes to the success of this weed in its introduced range, and test for rapid adaptation to environmental conditions in the invasive lineage. Location: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Florida. Taxon: Earleaf acacia. Methods: We sampled A. auriculiformis from across its entire native distribution (northern Australia, Papua New Guinea) and its invasive range in Florida, and used genotyping by sequencing (GBS) to assess population structuring. Results: Principal component analysis, based on 9591 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms, indicated significant differentiation among samples from Papua New Guinea, the Northern Territory (Australia) and north Queensland (Australia). Florida samples also formed a distinct cluster, with these samples most closely related to samples from the Northern Territory. These results indicate that the Florida A. auriculiformis lineage most likely originates from the Northern Territory, with no evidence that plants were introduced from different parts of the native range. We found evidence of allelic shifts in the Florida population, suggesting rapid adaptation to environmental conditions may contribute the success of the invasive lineage. Main conclusions: Two well‐known biogeographic barriers—the Carpentaria Gap and Torres Strait—have caused genome‐wide divergence among A. auriculiformis plants from north Queensland, Northern Territory and Papua New Guinea. The taxonomic status of these allopatric populations should be further assessed. As the Florida lineage originated in the Northern Territory, the search for potential biological control agents should be focused in this region. Our results also demonstrate how artificial selection and strong genetic drift may cause introduced plants to have a unique genetic make‐up not found in the native range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three colonies ofNeostromboceros albicomus, a candidate biological control agent ofLygodium microphyllum, were barcoded using theD2expansion domain, to determine which of two biotypes they represented. The first colony, collected in 2005 and 2007, was used for the initial host range testing. Colonies collected in 2012 and 2014 are currently being used to finalise this testing. All three colonies were collected in Trat Province, Thailand and all three populations show identical sequences to theN. albicomusbiotype which prefersL. microphyllumas its host plant. TheN. albicomusbiotype that usesL. flexuosumas its host plant differs by a single nucleotide, a difference which may reflect cryptic speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian psyllidBoreioglycaspis melaleucaeis a biological control agent ofMelaleuca quinquenerviain Florida (USA) but was observed attackingM. quinquenerviatrees in southern California (USA). Genotyping revealed the California population matched three of eight Australian haplotypes and all three Florida haplotypes. It remains unclear if the California psyllid population arrived directly from Australia or via Florida. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]