Chromosomal and Molecular Diversity in the Simulium ornatum Group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Western Tian Shan Range of Central Asia.

ABSTRACT: By any measure, such as abundance, species diversity or geographic range, the Simulium ornatum species group is one of the most successful Palearctic taxa of black flies. To explore potential diversity in this group in the Tian Shan range of Central Asia, we focused on Kyrgyzstan, in which three nominal morphospecies have been recorded. Among our samples, we morphologically identified S. mesasiaticum Rubtsov and a second possible species tentatively identified as S. ferganicum Rubtsov. By analyzing banding patterns of the larval polytene chromosomes, we discovered two fixed inversions, two sex-linked rearrangements, and 19 autosomal rearrangements, including supernumerary B chromosomes. The chromosomal data indicate minimal diversity of only one or two species across the surveyed area of n

SUBMITTER: Adler PH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8472333 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature