Molecular characterization of Tunga trimamillata and T. penetrans (Insecta, Siphonaptera, Tungidae): taxonomy and genetic variability.
A new species of the genus Tungo, T. trimamillata has recently been described on the basis of several morphological traits. To explore the taxonomic status of this flea with respect to T. penetrans, we undertook a molecular analysis of cytochrome oxydase II and 16S rDNA mitochondrial genes and of the internal transcribed spacer 2 nuclear marker on samples of both species. Maximum Parsimony evaluations of the three data set indicate a differentiation compatible with a specific rank between the two fleas with very high levels of divergence. Both mitochondrial and nuclear data are in line with a recent bottleneck in the Malagasy population of T. penetrans, possibly due to the recent colonisation of Africa via human transportation. Further, significantly lower mitochondrial variability in the Ecuadorian populations of T. penetrans with respect to the T. trimamillata ones is also evidenced.
Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica Sperimentale, Università di Bologna, via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy. andluche@alma.unibo.it
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Luchetti
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Mantovani
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Pampiglione
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Trentini
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006239:Haplotypes; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity
D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV