Comparison of Chironomus usenicus and Chironomus curabilis with species of the group plumosus (Diptera) inferred from the mitochondrial DNA Gene COI and by the polytene chromosomes banding pattern

Abstract

The sequence of a 595-bp fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene was determined for the species Chironomus usenicus and Chironomus curabilis of the genus Chironomus. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on the analysis of the COI gene sequence coincide on the whole with cytogenetic data, permitting Ch. usenicus and Ch. curabilis to be regarded as members of the group plumosus. Chironomus usenicus and Ch. plumosus have identical COI gene sequences. Two hypotheses explaining this identity are considered: inheritance of mtDNA from one of the parental species during hybridogenesis and horizontal transfer of mitochondrial genes.