Genetic polymorphism and evolution in parthenogenetic animals: V. TriploidAdoxus obscurus(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract

The genetic variability at 16 enzyme loci in 52 Scandinavian triploid parthenogenetic populations of the beetle Adoxus obscurus has been studied by starch-gel electrophoresis. The overall genotypes of different beetles have been compared with each other and with a sample from a diploid bisexual population from Canada. Eighty per cent of the parthenogenetic beetles have the same overall genotype. The remainder belong to six genotypes, three of which are found in only one population. The variability within and between parthenogenetic populations of A. obscurus is much lower than in other comparable parthenogenetic insects studied by us. This is interpreted to be a consequence of the efficient migration of the genotypes with the highest fitness, leading to a replacement of less-adapted genotypes. A. obscurus is a flying insect, whereas the other parthenogenetic insects studied by us are sluggish flightless forms.