title: Biological and genetic aspects of experimental hybrids from species of the Phyllosoma complex (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae).
abstract: The present work is a thorough investigation of the degree of reproductive isolation between Meccus mazzottii and Meccus longipennis, Meccus picturatus, Meccus pallidipennis and Meccus bassolsae, as well as between M. longipennis and M. picturatus. We examined fertility and segregation of morphological characteristics in two generations of hybrids derived from crosses between these species. The percentage of pairs with (fertile) offspring was highest in the set of crosses between M. longipennis and M. picturatus, and lowest between M. mazzottii and M. picturatus. Most first-generation (F1) individuals from crosses involving M. mazzottii were morphologically similar to this species, while only F1 x F1 progeny of parental crosses between M. mazzottii and M. longipennis had offspring second generation that looked like M. mazzottii. The results indicate that different degrees of reproductive isolation apparently exist among the species of the Phyllosoma complex examined in this study. The biological evidence obtained in this study does not support the proposal that M. longipennis and M. picturatus are full species. It could indicate on the contrary, that both could be considered as subspecies of a single polytypic species. On the other hand, biological evidence supports the proposal that M. mazzottii is a full species.
authors.affiliation: Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, D.F. aibarra@cusur.udg.mx
authors.forename: José Alejandro
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Ibarra
authors.forename: Luz Verónica
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Ventura-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meillon-Isais
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barajas-Martínez
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alejandre-Aguilar
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lupercio-Coronel
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rocha-Chávez
authors.forename: Benjamín
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nogueda-Torres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002678:Chimera / Q000235:genetics*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D010641:Phenotype; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D014225:Triatominae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology