Comparison of rDNA and mtDNA in the Sibling Species Anopheles freeborni and A. hermsi

Abstract

Comparison of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of Anopheles freeborni and A. hermsi, 2 morphologically indistinguishable mosquito species in the North American A. maculipennis complex, revealed restriction enzyme site variation in both DNA families. Diagnostically useful interspecific differences in the rDNA were observed in the external transcribed spacer (ETS) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. The regions encoding rRNA, however, were indistinguishable with respect to the enzymes used. Intraspecific site and genome length variations were present in the mtDNA of 5 colonies of A. freeborni and 3 colonies of A. hermsi, but no species-specific differences were observed.