RECOGNITION OF THE SIBLING SPECIES ANOPHELES ATROPARVUS (VAN THIEL) AND ANOPHELES LABRANCHIAE (FALLERONI) (DIPTERA CULICIDAE) ON THE BASIS OF Q AND C BANDING

Abstract

SUMMARY The sibling species A. atroparvus (van Thiel) and A. labranchiae (Falleroni) (Diptera Culicidae) were studied from a cytological viewpoint, using techniques which seem able to show constitutive heterochromatin (C banding) and/or the possible presence of specific base sequences perhaps bound to particular chromatinic proteins (Q banding) in metaphase chromosomes of cytological preparations from brains and/or testes. The responses to these techniques confirmed previous cytological, biochemical-genetic and ethological observations, on the basis of which the collocation of these two species as sibling species within the maculipennis (Meigen) group of the Anopheles genus was determined. The structure of A. labranchiae chromatin seems to be different that of A. atroparvus, expecially after Q banding.