A review of the genus Chironomus (Diptera, chironomidae). IV. The karyosystematics of the australis group in Australia.

Abstract

Two cytologically distinguishable species have been found in material of Chironomus australis. These species have been called Ch. australis and Ch. duplex. Both belong to the pseudothummi-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 to Ch. oppositus, while Ch. duplex, which is considered a derived species because of the tandem fusion, shows a number of inversion differences from the..