title: The Bactrocera dorsalis species complex: comparative cytogenetic analysis in support of Sterile Insect Technique applications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Bactrocera dorsalis species complex currently harbors approximately 90 different members. The species complex has undergone many revisions in the past decades, and there is still an ongoing debate about the species limits. The availability of a variety of tools and approaches, such as molecular-genomic and cytogenetic analyses, are expected to shed light on the rather complicated issues of species complexes and incipient speciation. The clarification of genetic relationships among the different members of this complex is a prerequisite for the rational application of sterile insect technique (SIT) approaches for population control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Colonies established in the Insect Pest Control Laboratory (IPCL) (Seibersdorf, Vienna), representing five of the main economic important members of the Bactrocera dorsalis complex were cytologically characterized. The taxa under study were B. dorsalis s.s., B. philippinensis, B. papayae, B. invadens and B. carambolae. Mitotic and polytene chromosome analyses did not reveal any chromosomal characteristics that could be used to distinguish between the investigated members of the B. dorsalis complex. Therefore, their polytene chromosomes can be regarded as homosequential with the reference maps of B. dorsalis s.s.. In situ hybridization of six genes further supported the proposed homosequentiallity of the chromosomes of these specific members of the complex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present analysis supports that the polytene chromosomes of the five taxa under study are homosequential. Therefore, the use of the available polytene chromosome maps for B. dorsalis s.s. as reference maps for all these five biological entities is proposed. Present data provide important insight in the genetic relationships among the different members of the B. dorsalis complex, and, along with other studies in the field, can facilitate SIT applications targeting this complex. Moreover, the availability of 'universal' reference polytene chromosome maps for members of the complex, along with the documented application of in situ hybridization, can facilitate ongoing and future genome projects in this complex.
authors.forename: Antonios A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Augustinos
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Drosopoulou
authors.forename: Aggeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gariou-Papalexiou
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bourtzis
authors.forename: Penelope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mavragani-Tsipidou
authors.forename: Antigone
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zacharopoulou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D059006:Chromosomes, Insect; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D005260:Female; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods; D059785:Karyotype; D008297:Male; D059007:Polytene Chromosomes; D033621:Tephritidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*