Insects (Nov 2021)

Revisiting the Hybridization Processes in the <i>Triatoma brasiliensis</i> Complex (Hemiptera, Triatominae): Reproductive Isolation between <i>Triatoma petrocchiae</i> and <i>T. b. brasiliensis</i> and <i>T. lenti</i>

  • Luiza Maria Grzyb Delgado,
  • Jader de Oliveira,
  • Amanda Ravazi,
  • Fernanda Fernandez Madeira,
  • Yago Visinho dos Reis,
  • Heloisa Pinotti,
  • Ana Beatriz Bortolozo de Oliveira,
  • Isabella da Silva Masarin,
  • Maurício Lilioso,
  • Elaine Folly-Ramos,
  • Cleber Galvão,
  • Maria Tercília Vilela de Azeredo-Oliveira,
  • João Aristeu da Rosa,
  • Kaio Cesar Chaboli Alevi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12111015
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 11
p. 1015

Abstract

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Triatoma petrocchiae is a species morphologically similar to T. b. brasiliensis (which resulted in a synonymization event); despite this similarity, genetic, morphological, and experimental crossbreeding studies confirmed the specific status of T. petrocchiae. Considering that both species have been reported living in sympatry and that, for a long time, most species of the T. brasiliensis complex were considered only chromatic variants of T. b. brasiliensis, we carried out experimental crosses between T. b. brasiliensis and T. petrocchiae (to confirm whether these species are reproductively isolated) and between T. lenti and T. petrocchiae (to assess whether T. petrocchiae also presents prezygotic isolation with the other species of the T. brasiliensis complex). Reciprocal experimental crosses were conducted, and weekly, the eggs were collected, counted, and separated in new containers to assess the hatch rate. Neither cross resulted in hybrids, demonstrating that there are pre-zygotic reproductive barriers installed between T. petrocchiae and the other species of the T. brasiliensis complex. On the basis of the results above, we demonstrated that T. petrocchiae is reproductively isolated from T. b. brasiliensis and T. lenti. Furthermore, we suggest that T. petrocchiae is the species most derived from the T. brasiliensis complex.

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