The Identity of Specimens of the Anastrepha fraterculus Complex (Diptera, Tephritidae) with Atypical Aculeus Tip

Abstract

Several specimens collected in Paraguay along with Anastrepha fraterculus (sensu lato) have an aculeus tip similar to species from the fraterculus complex, but the teeth of the aculeus of these specimens are poorly defined. As Anastrepha species identification is based mostly on subtle differences in the aculeus tip, we studied these specimens with atypical aculeus tips (with poorly defined teeth) that slightly differs from the aculeus tip of species of the fraterculus complex (with well-developed blunt teeth), to determine if this is due to intraspecific variation or if it can characterize a full species. The Paraguayan specimens were separated in six groups under stereomicroscope according to variation in their aculeus tip. Specimens within each group were studied by means of morphometrics (traditional and geometric) and gene sequence analysis (COI and ITS1). Morphometric analyses were significant, but no clear groups were formed by the discriminant analyses of the aculeus and wing, and the COI and ITS1 sequence analysis clustered specimens with all six aculeus variations. Therefore, the subtle morphological differences observed in the aculeus tip of Paraguayan specimens are intraspecific variations and the Paraguayan specimens were more genetically closely related to Anastrepha sp. 3 from the fraterculus complex.

Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) variation in the Anastrepha fraterculus cryptic species complex (Diptera, Tephritidae) of the Andean region

“…2800 m. This ITS1 sequence type also extends south to Argentina (Tucumán), and east to Paraguay (Lopes 2010, Lopes et al 2013) and at least southern and southeastern Brazil (Figure 4). …”

“…Specimens having this ITS1 sequence type include those from the IAEA, IPCL colonies originating from Argentina (Tucumán, sampled 2014 and 2015) and Brazil (Vacaria, sampled 2010, and Piracicaba sampled 2014, 2015), as well as the published sequences of specimens from Paraguay (Lopes 2010, Lopes et al 2013). Concurrently, this type seems identifiable with Anastrepha sp.…”

“…For comparison, limited numbers of specimens were also available from outside of the core region including México, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Caribbean Colombia (Isla de San Andrés), southern and southeastern Brazil, and coastal Venezuela (Los Caracas), as well as ITS1 sequences (NCBI) derived from Anastrepha fraterculus originating from localities in Paraguay (Lopes 2010, Lopes et al 2013). …”

“…Paraguay was represented by ITS1 sequences deposited in the NCBI (HQ829865 to HQ829879) (Lopes 2010, Lopes et al 2013). …”

Efeitos do silenciamento gênico de transformer-2 a partir da aplicação de RNAi parental em Anastrepha sp.1 affinis fraterculus (Diptera, Tephritidae)

“…Por se tratar de uma praga de importância econômica que desperta grande interesse na comunidade científica, muitos dos estudos têm se concentrado na caracterização das espécies deste complexo e na compreensão dos mecanismos pelos quais se deu o isolamento entre elas (RULL et al, 2012(RULL et al, , 2013BRÍZOVÁ et al, 2013;LOPES et al, 2013;OROÑO et al, 2013;ABRAHAM et al, 2014;DEVESCOVI et al, 2014;FARIA et al, 2014;PERRE et al, 2014). Além destes também é reconhecida a importância de estudos sobre aspectos básicos da biologia desses organismos, como sobre a determinação do sexo em nível molecular nas espécies do complexo (RUIZ et al, 2005(RUIZ et al, , 2007a(RUIZ et al, , 2007bSARNO et al, 2010).…”