New mariner elements in Anastrepha species (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Mariner-like elements (MLE) are members from class II of transposable elements also known as DNA transposons. These elements have a wide distribution among different groups of organisms, including insects, which can be explained by horizontal and vertical gene-transfer. MLE families have been described in tephritid flies and other genera. During screening for Wolbachia bacteria in fruit flies of the genus Anastrepha, we discovered two sequences related to mariner-like elements. Based on these sequences, we designed primers that allowed us to isolate and characterize two new mariner-like elements (Anmar1 and Anmar2) in Anastrepha flies. These elements, which belong to the mellifera and rosa subfamilies have a low nucleotide diversity, and are probably inactive and acquired by vertical transfer. This is the first report of mariner-like transposons in flies found in South America.

A morphometric and molecular study of Anastrepha pickeli Lima (Diptera: Tephritidae)

This study investigated the level of morphometric and genetic variability among populations of Anastrepha pickeli Lima from several localities in Brazil, one locality in Bolivia and one in Paraguay. Traditional and geometric morphometric analyses were used, as well as sequencing of a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase gene (COI). Six variables were measured from the aculeus for traditional morphometric analysis and 14 landmarks from the right wing were used for geometric analysis, using 10 specimes/population. The aculeus tip length, aculeus width at the end of the cloaca opening, and the serrate part length contributed with 62.7 percent for grouping. According to the results from traditional morphometry, there was no significant difference, but the multivariate tests showed that the canonical variables were statistically significant, indicating a difference in the wing conformation among populations. Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicated that the populations clustered into three clades and revealed a high level of genetic variation within A. pickeli populations from various geographic regions. Anastrepha pickeli populations differed among them according to the methods used in this study, showing incongruence among the methods used.

Phylogeographical analysis of neotropical Rhagoletis (Diptera: Tephritidae): did the Andes uplift contribute to current morphological differences? / Análisis filogeográfico de Rhagoletis neotropicales (Diptera: Tephritidae): ¿ha contribuido el levantamiento de los Andes a explicar las actuales diferencias morfológicas?

Neotropical Rhagoletis species are arranged in four groups: nova,psalida,striatella and ferruginea, which include 18 species. On both sides of the Andes, the evolution of morphological differences among these groups has been suggested to be related to the Andes uplift process. In order to test this hypothesis, a phylogenetic analysis of morphological and molecular data was performed. The results suggest that: 1) Neotropical species of Rhagoletis constitute a separate group from Paleartic and North American species, with the only exception being a member of the striatella group having a certain association with the northern species. 2) Neotropical species seem to form a monophyletic clade, although statistical support for this is weak. 3) The split of South American Rhagoletis from other groups was dated at 4.333 million years ago, which is before the emergence of a continuous landbridge between Central and South América. 4) Within species distributed in South América, morphological and molecular data were coincident, placing species of the ferruginea group separate from the other Neotropical Rhagoletis. 5) The divergence of the ferruginea group from the other groups was dated at 3.882 million years ago, which is before the last uplift of the Andes. These results suggest that diversification of the ferruginea,psalida and nova groups, on each side of the Andes, was the result of a vicariant separation followed by dispersal and isolation processes. Thus, these results support the hypothesis that the Andes uplift has played an important role in Neotropical Rhagoletis diversification.

Las especies de Rhagoletis neotropicales han sido agrupadas en cuatro grupos: nova,psalida,striatella y ferruginea, constituyendo 18 especies. Se han descrito diferencias morfológicas entre estas especies a ambos lados de la cordillera de los Andes que podrían relacionarse con el proceso de levantamiento cordillerano. En este trabajo se evalúa esta hipótesis usando análisis filogenético de atributos morfológicos y moleculares. Los resultados muestran que: a) las especies Neotropicales de Rhagoletis constituyen un grupo separado de las especies Palearticas y Norteamericanas, con la excepción de un miembro del grupo striatella el cual presenta cierta asociación con las especies Norteamericanas; 2) Las especies Neotropicales parece conformar un clado monofilético; 3) La separación de los grupos Sudamericanos de otros grupos fue estimada en 4.333 millones de años antes del presente, proceso anterior a la emergencia del puente de tierra entre América Central y Sudamérica; 4) Dentro de las especies con distribución Sudamericana, los caracteres morfológicos y moleculares coinciden en ubicar algunas especies del grupo ferruginea separadas de especies de Rhagoletis Neotropicales. 5) La separación del grupo ferruginea fue estimada en 3.882 millones de años antes del presente, evento que precede al último levantamiento de los Andes. La diversificación de los grupos ferruginea,psalida y nova a uno y otro lado de la cordillera de los Andes parece responder inicialmente a un proceso vicariante y posteriores eventos de dispersión y aislamiento. Estos resultados sugieren que el levantamiento de los Andes habría participado en los patrones de diversificación de las Rhagoletis Neotropicales.

Morphological and molecular characterization of three species of Anastrepha Schiner and of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Four species of Tephritoidea, three from genus Anastrepha: A. obliqua (Macquart), A. sororcula Zucchi and A. serpentina (Wiedemann), and one from genus Ceratitis, C. capitata (Wiedemann) were compared based on puparium morphology and application of the Heteroduplex Mobility Assay (HMA). Puparia were characterized for the first time using the spiracular posterior plate morphology. Application of HMA allowed the detection of variability in the D2 domain from 28S rRNA gene in all four species (confirmed by sequencing). This is a fast, simple, sensitive and inexpensive assay that was used for the first time in the analysis of two Tephritoidea genera. The detected variability suggests that the tecnique has great potential for rapid determination of infestations with two or more species in the same host fruit.

Foram comparadas com base na morfologia do pupário e na técnica de HMA (Heteroduplex Mobility Assay)) quatro espécies de Tephritoidea, três delas pertencentes ao gênero Anastrepha, A. obliqua (Macquart), A. sororcula Zucchi e A. serpentina (Wiedemann) e uma do gênero Ceratitis, C. capitata (Wiedemann). Os pupários foram caracterizados pela primeira vez com base na morfologia da placa espiracular posterior. A aplicação da técnica de HMA possibilitou a detecção de variabilidade no segmento D2 do gene 28S rRNA nas quatro espécies (confirmada por seqüenciamento). Esta é uma técnica rápida, simples, sensível e barata que é aplicada pela primeira vez na análise de dois gêneros de Tephritoidea. A variabilidade observada sugere grande potencial da técnica no caso da determinação da infestação por duas ou mais espécies num mesmo fruto hospedeiro.