**4.1 Molecular achievements on** *Monochamus*

Although *Monochamus* species are important forest pests across the Eurasia, research employing molecular techniques were quite limited compared to other arthropod pests. Cesari et al. (2005) started the first molecular taxonomy research on seven *Monochamus* species by using the combined mtDNA data of *cox1* and *12s* genes. Afterward, such research were quickly developed in Japan, where *M. alternatus* had become a threat to forestry. Kawai et al. (2006) published a paper on the genetic structure of 27 populations of *M. alternatus* from Japan and China (with 25 populations from Japan and two populations from China). Shoda-Kagaya (2007) published paper on microsatellite markers. Then, Koutroumpa et al. (2009) conducted a criticizing research which revealed *Numts* resembling the *cox1* and *cox2* genes of *M. galloprovincialis* and *M. sutor*, alerting scientists that precautions are necessary when applying the gene markers from the mitogenome. There was no such research on *M. alternatus* in China published by the end of 2009.
