We analyzed trend of plants (40 items) on imported seedlings using the Pest Information System (PIS) for the past 20 years. 530 species (9 order 336 genus) were found among 40 items on imported seedlings including Rosaceae, Arecaceae, Crassulaceae, and Fabaceae. Hemiptera were the most expected to be detected pest as 52%, followed by Coleoptera as 16%, Lepidoptera as 11%, and Diptera as 8% in potential detection rate. For prohibited pests, Tephritidae are the most common pests as 86% in approximately 60 prohibited species, including Bactrocera dorsalis, and Bactrocera tryoni in Diptera and Cydia pomonella in Lepidoptera.

벌목 개미과 시베리아개미아과(Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae)의 Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868) (신칭 민개미)가 국내에서 처음 발견되었다. 진단학적 형질, 분포 범위, 해충으로서의 잠재적 가능성에 대하여 논의되었다.

최근 경기지역에 민들레 (Taraxacum spp.)에 붉은 보라색 원형 혹을 형성하는 파리목 혹파리과 Cystiphora 속 (屬)의 민들레잎혹파리 (신칭)가 발견되어 이 종의 발생지역, 피해양상 및 발육단계별 형태적 특성을 보고한다.

The disadvantage of the current Red imported fire ants (RIFA) diagnostic is that it takes at least two days, because it is subjected to PCR amplification and DNA sequence identification process using an arthropod universal mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I prime pair after genomic DNA extraction. In order to overcome this drawback, two RIFA specific genes were confirmed and used to develop techniques for identifying the species using various PCR methods. The conventional PCR method can be confirmed by the presence of amplified DNA, but additional time is required to confirm whether the PCR products are present or not. In contrast, SYBR green Real Time (RT) PCR or TaqMan probe RT PCR method has the advantage of confirming the results immediately after the reaction is completed. The new molecular diagnostic method has the advantage of shortening the time of two days, which is the biggest disadvantage of RIFA molecular diagnostic method, to 3 hours or less.

The red imported fire ant (RIFA, Solenopsis invicta Buren) is defined as invasive species and one of 100 most threaten alien species in world by IUCN. In Korea, RIFA has been first detected at September 28th, 2017 in Busan Port during surveillance by Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA). The RIFA colony was revealed as a polygyne and H5 type through epidemiological analysis on Gp-9 gene and mt-DNA haplotype. APQA has developed eradication program for RIFA with enhanced surveillance in all nationwide Ports and Internal Container Depots. There are subsequently 7 times more invasions of RIFA in Ports (Busan, Pyongeaek, and Incheon) including 2 times of inlands (Daegu and Ansan) and completely eradicated so far. International trade and climate change increases possibility of establishment and spreading of RIFA in Korea. Therefore, it must be required an international cooperation for prevention of global spreading of RIFA between countries.

Two infamous ant species, red imported fire ant (RIFA, Solenopsis invicta) and tropical fire ant (TFA, S. geminata), originated from South America are invading and harming many countries around the world. Among them, RIFA, known as one of the 100 world’s worst invasive alien species, has been discovered in South Korea; in Busan (Gamman CT) in 2017, and subsequently in Busan (Hutchison CT), Pyongtaek, Incheon and Daegu in 2018. With these relentless introduction of RIFA, South Korea is not safe no more from these ants and faces a risk of settlement. Our research goal is tracing the country origin of invasive populations of RIFA and TFA based on molecular epidemiological approach. We are conducting both microsatellite and genome-wide SNP analyses in order to derive a complementary interpretation. These two methodologies are expected to result in improved resolution in population genetics analysis. Nevertheless, this work needs collaboration of many countries belonging to the range of origin and invasion of RIFA and TFA. We will briefly introduce our research project and progress of collaboration research.

Incursions of red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta into Korea have been increasing. After a first interception of a colony of S. invicta on Gamman pier, Pusan port while intensive surveillance by Animal & Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) in September 2017, three more RIFA colonies have been found in sea port piers of Pyeongtek, Incheon and Pusan cities. The social forms and mitochondrial DNA haplotypes of the intercepted RIFA colonies were analysed by allelic discrimination assay (peptide nucleic acid probe based RT-PCR) of Gp-9 gene and mt-DNA fragment of 768 bp, which is part of the Cytochrome oxidaseⅠ gene. The colony on Gamman pier, intercepted in Sep. 2017 was previously reported as a haplotype 5 (H5) of mitochondrial DNA and a social form of polygyne. The colony on Hutchison pier of Pusan port, intercepted in June 2018 were confirmed as a H22 haplotype and a monogyne. Those different social forms show different origins of each colonies. Those on piers of Pyeongtek and Incheon ports, also found in 2018 were confirmed samely as H22 and monogyne. However, it could be putatively assumed that those two colonies were differently introduced via different container cargoes, considering those colonies were found in container yards of distantly located different sea ports. More genetic variation analyses using diverse sets of molecular markers such as microsatellites, genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms, etc. in nuclear gens are being proceeded for more exact introduction routes (origins).

The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) is a species of ant native to South America. The fire ant was inadvertently introduced into USA, Australia, New Zealand, and other Asian countries including China and Taiwan. Since the first report of the fire ant in port city of Busan, Korea in 2017, it was found in many other cities of Korea in following year. To obtain the molecular information of this invasive species, total RNA was extracted from the abdominal segment of the ants collected in Incheon, and subjected to transcriptome sequencing. By using Illumina sequencer platform, 101 base pared-end sequencing generated 2 × 50,064,081 of raw reads to obtain 2 × 45.95 Gbase of quality filtered nucleotide sequences. The in silico cDNA library was constructed by Trinity de novo assembler followed by TransDecoder ORF finder and CD-HIT clustering program to streamline the library. The final version of cDNA library contains 20,442 contigs with protein coding capability. To survey the virome of this ant, these contigs were searched against the viral reference sequences from NCBI RefSeq database with BLASTN program. As a result, contigs which showed high sequence identities with several RNA viruses including previously reported SINV-2 were found from the fire ant. This virome information might give an idea of a shift of virological environment of this newly found ant isolate or population in Korea.

붉은불개미는 세계 100대 침입외래 해충 중의 하나로 우리나라에서는 관리 해충으로 1996년도에 지정되었다. 2017년 9월28일 부산항 감만 부두에서 국내 최초로 발견된 후, 2018년에 부산항, 평택항 과 인천항에서 발견이 되었고, 9월18일에 대구의 아파트 공사장에서 내륙에서는 처음으로 발견이 되었다. 대구에서 발견된 붉은불개미도 아파트 건설을 위하여 중국에서 수입한 석재에 혼합되어 수입된 토양과 식물체와 같이 혼입된 것으로 추측이 된다. 그러므로, 현재까지 국내에서 붉은불개미가 번식을 하여 토착화되었다는 증거는 없다. 현재까지 붉은불개미에 대한 종 판명은 전문가에 의한 형태적인 분류가 대부분이다. 그래서, 붉은불개미에 대한 확증을 위해서는 채집된 개체를 검역기관으로 이송하여 분자진단을 실시해야 하므로, 최소 이틀의 시간이 필요하다. 현재 항원항체 반응을 이용한 붉은불개미 진단 키트가 해외에서 개발되어 판매되고 있지만, 낮은 민감도로 최소 3~5개의 충체가 필요한 실정이다. 현재 판매되고 있는 진단키트가 가지는 문제점은 이를 대신할 새로운 키트의 개발이 필요함을 보여주고 있다. 신속한 붉은불개미의 검역현장에서 진단을 가능하게하기 위한 노력 중의 하나로 우리는 붉은불개미의 복부에서 발현되는 유전체에 대한 연구를 수행하였다. 본 발표에서는 그에 대한 현재까지의 연구 진행과 결과를 설명하도록 하겠다. (본 연구는 농림축산 검역본부의 연구비 지원으로 이루어졌음).

벌목 개미과 두마디개미아과(Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)의 Solenopsis invicta Buren, 1972가 국내 부산항에서 처음 발견되 어 농림축산검역본부에 의해 신속하게 제거되었다.