Abstract
Two cytologically distinguishable species have been found in material ofChironomus australis. These species have been calledCh. australis andCh. duplex. Both belong to thepseudothummi-cytological grouping because they have the chromosome arm combinations AE, BF, CD, G.Ch. duplex shows a modified arm pattern due to a tandem fusion of arm G to arm E.—The banding patterns of the polytene chromosomes of the two species are compared to each other and to the Australian standard species,Ch. oppositus. Ch. australis is very close cytologically toCh. oppositus, whileCh. duplex, which is considered a derived species because of the tandem fusion, shows a number of inversion differences from the morphologically similarCh. australis. Ch. duplex is polymorphic for six inversions, four of which are simple inversions, the other two are complex involving also the transposition of some bands.Ch. australis appears to be monomorphic.
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Supported by Public Health Service Grant GM-07212 from the Division of General Medical Sciences, U.S. National Institutes of Health and by Grant D 67/16638 from the Australian Research Grants Committee.
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Martin, J. A review of the genusChironomus (Diptera, Chironomidae) . Chromosoma 35, 418–430 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02451448
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02451448