Chironomus strenzkei Fittkau, 1968 is a junior synonym of C. striatipennis Kieffer, 1910

Abstract

Two species of Chironomus with essentially identical adult wing patterns, C. strenzkei and C. striatipennis, have been reported from Brazil. Specimens were collected from the same region in the Manaus area some 50 years apart. Morphological, cytological and DNA Barcode comparisons all confirm that these two species are inseparable on any of the characteristics studied. Moreover, for the mitochondrial COI region investigated, the sequences are completely identical, and polytene chromosome banding patterns are shared between C. strenzkei and C. striatipennis populations from Japan. I therefore argue that the former species must be a junior synonym of C. striatipennis. As a result of the synony..