Genetic and morphological variation among populations of Oxyna parietina (Diptera: Tephritidae) across a European transect

Abstract

Genetic and morphological variation in the phytophagous tephritid Oxyna parietina (L.) was investigated across a transect through Central Europe by starch-gel electrophoresis to detect allozyme variation and by wing morphometrics. Very low allozyme differentiation was found on both a local and a regional scale, and is best explained by high rates and distances of gene flow. Nevertheless, there exists a smooth cline of allele frequencies from northern to southern populations. We tentatively interpret this cline as being a consequence of selection by environmental factors. The morphological patterns are not consistent with the allozyme data.