Genetic structure and phyletic relationships of eastern Mediterranean Bacillus atticus brunner (Insecta Phasmatodea): a biochemical study

Abstract

The allozymic characterization of several new Croatian, Greek, and Turkish samples thought to belong to different subspecies of Bacillus atticus or to atticus-like taxa is given. Several allelic combinations (zymotypes) were observed among both diploid and triploid samples; the occurrence of highly different levels of heterozygosity for the same locus among populations is also common. The biochemical-genetic features of the numerous zymotypes are interpreted on the basis of the recently assessed cytology of their parthenogenetic reproduction. Biochemical and meiotic features also allow one to suggest that both diploid and triploid cytotypes of B. atticus are more likely interracial hybrids in origin. The new triploid Greek samples show only small genetic distances from the Turkish triploid and diploid ones; also, they do not show clear-cut morphological differences, so that all triploids and Turkish diploid samples are together referred to as B. a. carius. On the other hand, all Croatian, Greek, and Italian diploids appear to belong to the same electrophoretic cluster, biochemically differentiated at a subspecific level from B. a. carious. This newly defined comprehensive group of diploid samples, which also morphologically show gradual patterns of variation, is referred to as B. a. atticus.