Zootaxa 2359: 65–67 (2010)
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Correspondence
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ZOOTAXA
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The karyotype of Chironomus acerbiphilus Tokunaga, 1939
(Diptera: Chironomidae) from Poland
IZABELA JABLONSKA-BARNA1, 5, PARASKEVA MICHAILOVA2, ANDRZEJ KOWNACKI3
& PETER H. LANGTON 4
1
Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Fisheries, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, ul.
M. Oczapowskiego 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
2
Institute of Zoology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tzar Osvoboditel boulv. 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
3
Karol Starmach Department of Freshwater Biology, Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. A. Mickiewicza
33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
4
University Museum of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK (Address for correspondence: 5 Kylebeg Avenue, Mountsandel,
Coleraine, N. Ireland BT52 1JN)
5
Corresponding author: e-mail: ijpb@uwm.edu.pl
The chromosome set of Chironomus crassimanus Strenzke, 1959 and pictures of its salivary gland chromosomes were
presented by Keyl and Keyl (1959) and Keyl (1962). Keyl (1962) described the band sequence of chromosome AE
compared with that of other Chironomus species. Later, Michailova (1989) described the chromosome markers of this
species using material from Bulgaria. Martin (2006) indicated that the banding patterns of arms A and E of Chironomus
acerbiphilus Tokunaga, 1939 are as in C. crassimanus and consequently suggested synonymy. Our study presents the
karyotype of Chironomus acerbiphilus (= C. crassimanus) from Poland. This species is new for the Polish fauna.
The material was collected from an acid strip-mine lake (pH = 3) located in the Łuk Mużakowa Landscape Park
(western Poland; 51o 45’N, 14 o 46’E) . The chemical properties of the water were presented by Ję drczak (1992).
Chironomid larvae were sampled from Lake No 54 which has an area of 20.2 ha and a maximum depth of 24 m. Fourteen
specimens of IVth larval stage were analyzed cytotaxonomically. The salivary gland chromosomes were prepared
according to Michailova (1989). The standardization of banding pattern in arms A, E and F follows Keyl (1962) and arm
CD - Devai et al. (1989). The comparison of the band sequence of chromosome CD was done with Chironomus piger
Strenzke, 1959. The band sequences of chromosome arms A, E, F, C and D are given in detail as a chromosome map.
The karyotype of Chironomus acerbiphilus
2n = 8, with chromosome arm combinations AE, BF, CD, and G. The species belongs to the “pseudothummi
cytocomplex”. The centromere regions of the chromosomes are expressed by large heterochromatin blocks, which are
often conjugated. Chromosomes AE and CD are submetacentric, BF - metacentric and G - telocentric. One Balbiani ring
(BR) is in chromosome G, a Nucleolar Organizer (NOR) is in chromosome AE.
Arm A (Fig. 1 a) has the following band sequence:1a-i-7-9-2d-k-3-12-10-2c-a-1k-6-5-4-13-14-15-16-19. The fixed
homozygous inversion in section 7-1k distinguishes it from Chironomus holomelas Str. The band sequence 5 - 4-13-1415-16-19 is the same in both species. The band sequence 2d-3, 12-10, 13-19 is very similar to that of Chironomus
pseudothummi Strenzke, 1959 (Keyl 1962). The Nucleolar Organizer (NOR) is located in section 13-15.
Arm E (Fig. 1 a) has the band sequence:1-2-3-ae-10b-3f-10cg-13-11. It is the same as the band sequence of this arm
of Chironomus acidophilus Keyl, 1960 (Keyl 1960), C. aprilinus Meigen, 1818 and C. uliginosus Keyl, 1960 (Keyl
1962) as well as of C. frommeri established by Atchley and Martin (1971) and C. whitseli analyzed by Sublette and
Sublette (1974).
Arm F (Fig. 1 b) has the band sequence: 1-7-17-16-11-12-13-14-15-14b- 4 -5-6-9-8-1-2-3-10-18-19-20. It differs
from that of Chironomus uliginosus by several inversion steps (the underlined sections are the sections involved in the
inversions involved in different steps of the formation of the karyotype):
Chironomus uliginosus:
1-7-6-5-4-14b-15-10-3-2-1-8-9-14-13-12-11-16-17-18-19-20
Accepted by W. Gilka: 5 Jan. 2010; published: 15 Feb. 2010
65
1-7-17-16-11-12-13-14-6-5-4-14b-15-10-3-2-1-8-9-18-19-20
1-7-17-16-11-12-13-14-6-5-4-14b-15-9-8-1-2-3-10-18-19-20
Chironomus acerbiphilus: 1-7-17-16-11-12-13-14-15-14b-4-5-6-9-8-1-2-3-10-18-19-20
The band sequence 18-20 is the same as that of Chironomus aprilinus and C. holomelas (Keyl 1962). In Chironomus
uliginosus there is an active area in section 11 (Keyl 1962), which in the studied species has been transferred to the
beginning of the chromosome arm F.
FIGURE 1. Salivary gland chromosomes of Chironomus acerbiphilus. a—AE chromosome, b—FB chromosome, c—
CD chromosome, d—G chromosome, NOR—nucleolar organizer, P-puff, BR—Balbiani ring, arrow —centromere
region.
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· Zootaxa 2359 © 2010 Magnolia Press
JABLONSKA-BARNA ET AL.
Arm B (Fig. 1 b). Due to bad structure it is not possible to map the band sequences of this arm. Some bands in
sections 1, 2 are basic for this arm (Wülker 1980).
Arm C ( Fig. 1 c). It differs from that of Chironomus piger by a one step fixed homozygous inversion.
Chironomus piger:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9abcd-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-22
Chironomus acerbiphilus:
1-2-10-9dcba-8-7-6-5-4-3-11-12-13-14-15-16-22- 24-21. (The section from 24 to 21 is transferred from arm D as
has been established by Wülker (Martin 2006).
The basic pattern of the arm (sections 11-12) is located almost in the middle of the arm.
Arm D (Fig. 1 c).The band sequence of this arm differs from that of Chironomus piger by several homozygous
inversions.
Chironomus piger:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18afg-19-24
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-18fa-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-18g-19-24
1-2-3-6-5-4-7-8-9-18fa-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-18g-19-24
1-2-3-6-5-4-7-8-9-18fa-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18g-19-24
1-2-3-6-5-4-7-8-9-18fa-13-12-11-10-14-15-16-17-18g-19-24
Chironomus acerbiphilus:1-2-3-6-5-4-7-8-9-18fa-13-12-11-10-17-16-15-14-18g-19-20. The band sequence in
section 21-24 is transferred to arm C as has been found by Wülker (Martin 2006). The basic pattern of the arm is located
in the middle of the arm (3).
Arm G (Fig. 1 d).The Balbiani ring (BR) is located in the middle of the arm. The homologues are always
conjugated.
Acknowledgements
This study was supported through a grant of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Sciences (grant B1601) as well as
through the Exchange Research Program between Bulgarian and Polish Academy of Sciences.
References
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THE KARYOTYPE OF CHIRONOMUS ACERBIPHILUS
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