A Very Small and Isolated Population of the Green Oak Leaf Roller, Tortrix viridana L., with High Genetic Diversity—How Does This Work?

A geographically isolated population of an herbivorous insect (Tortrix viridana, Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in the Bashkir Transural region and 5 further populations were investigated for genetic variation using eight microsatellite markers. The sample size per population was between 48 and 62 individuals. The genetic variation was higher within the isolated population than within populations in the center of the distribution area. No bottleneck effects were discovered during analyses that could have formatted the gene pool of this population. Balancing or directed selection toward preservation of specific alleles or promotion of heterozygous individuals could be an explanation for the unexpected high genetic diversity within this small and isolated population.