Comparative genome scan detects host‐related divergent selection in the grasshopper Hesperotettix viridis

In this study, we used a comparative genome scan to examine patterns of population differentiation with respect to host plant use in Hesperotettix viridis, a Nearctic oligophagous grasshopper locally specialized on various Asteraceae including Solidago, Gutierrezia, and Ericameria. We identified amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) loci with significantly elevated F_ST (outlier loci) in multiple different‐host and same‐host comparisons of populations while controlling for geographic distance. By comparing the number and identities of outlier loci in different‐host vs. same‐host comparisons, we found evidence of host plant‐related divergent selection for some population comparisons (Solidago‐ vs. Gutierrezia‐feeders), while other comparisons (Ericameria‐ vs. Gutierrezia‐feeders) failed to demonstrate a strong role for host association in population differentiation. In comparisons of Solidago‐ vs. Gutierrezia‐feeding populations, a relatively high number of outlier loci observed repeatedly in different‐host comparisons (35% of all outliers and 2.7% of all 625 AFLP loci) indicated a significant role for host‐related selection in contributing to overall genomic differentiation in this grasshopper. Mitochondrial DNA sequence data revealed a star‐shaped phylogeny with no host‐ or geography‐related structure, low nucleotide diversity, and high haplotype diversity, suggesting a recent population expansion. mtDNA data do not suggest a long period of isolation in separate glacial refugia but are instead more compatible with a single glacial refugium and more recent divergence in host use. Our study adds to research documenting heterogeneity in differentiation across the genome as a consequence of divergent natural selection, a phenomenon that may occur as part of the process of ecological speciation.