Phylogenetic relationships among the Anopheles hyrcanus species group based on the degree of hybrid development and comparison with phylogenies by other methods.

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships among 7 members of the Anopheles hyrcanus species group of East Asia which contains vectors of human parasitic diseases were studied based on the development of interspecific hybrids; they were compared with phylogenetic relationships obtained from morphological and biochemical works. A study of Takai et al. (1984) on postmating reproductive isolation between 7 members of the An. Hyrcanus species group demonstrated various degrees of development among hybrids. It is proposed in this study that hybrid development is correlated with phylogenetic relationship. An index of hybrid development was introduced and was applied to classification of the parental members. It was compared with a classification based on the morphological data of Harrison (1972) which were reanalyzed in this study. The data for polypeptide differences disclosed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis conducted by Imajoh (1981) were reanalyzed to construct a classification, which was compared with the present results. A common clustering among the three classifications was a grouping of An. Argyropus, An. nigerrimus, and An. Nitidus. Laboratory colonies of this subgroup were difficult in free-mating in cages and preferred to feed on man, whereas colonies of the other species freely mated in cages and preferred to blood-feed on mice, except that An. crawfordi did not freely mate in cages. Relation of the vector members to the classification is discussed. A revision in the UPGMA method is also presented.