Comparative analysis of karyotypes of Chironomussolitus Linevich & Erbaeva, 1971 and Chironomusanthracinus Zetterstedt, 1860 (Diptera, Chironomidae) from East Siberia

A comparative chromosome banding analysis of Chironomussolitus Linevich & Erbaeva, 1971 and Chironomusanthracinus Zetterstedt, 1860 from East Siberia (Lakes Baikal, Gusinoe, Arakhley and Irkutsk Reservoir) showed close similarity of banding sequences. Chironomussolitus differs from Chironomusanthracinus in one species-specific sequence of arm B. Arms C (43%) and D (30%) had inversion banding sequences previously reported in Chironomusanthracinus The similarity of karyotypic features of Chironomussolitus and Chironomusanthracinus in combination with morphological features of larvae provide evidence in favour of including Chironomussolitus in the Chironomusanthracinus group of sibling species long with Chironomusreservatus Shobanov, 1997.

Karyotypes of Chironomus Meigen (Diptera: Chironomidae) species from Africa

The karyotypes of six African Chironomus species (Chironomus alluaudi Kieffer, 1913, Chironomus transvaalensis Kieffer, 1923, Chironomus sp. Nakuru, Chironomus formosipennis Kieffer, 1908, Chironomus prope pulcher Wiedemann, 1830, Chironomus sp. Kisumu) were investigated; four of these karyotypes were described for the first time (Chironomus sp. Nakuru, Chironomus formosipennis, Chironomus prope pulcher, Chironomus sp. Kisumu). Of the six Chironomus karyotypes, three had "pseudothummi" cytocomplex chromosome arms combinations AE CD BF G (Chironomus alluaudi, Chironomus transvaalensis, Chironomus sp. Nakuru), two had "thummi"cytocomplex arms combinations AB CD EF G (Chironomus formosipennis, Chironomus prope pulcher), and one had "parathummi"armcombinations AC BF DE G (Chironomus sp. Kisumu). Thus, three of the ten main cytocomplexes known were detected in Africa. Detailed photomaps of all chromosome arms, with the exception of arms B and G, were prepared for the karyotypes of Chironomus alluaudi, Chironomus transvaalensis, Chironomus sp. Nakuru, Chironomus prope pulcher; the karyotypes of Chironomus formosipennis, Chironomus sp. Kisumucould only be fragmentarily mapped. Endemic African banding sequences were characteristic for most of the chromosomal arms in all species studied. However, basic sequences, which can be present in different Chironomus species on different continents (Wülker, 1980; Kiknadze et al. 2008), were also detected also in several African species (Chironomus alluaudi, Chironomus sp. Nakuru, and Chironomus formosipennis). The banding sequences of African species studied allow discussion of the derivation of modern banding patterns from hypothetical species, living before separation of cytocomplexes and continents.