Phylogenetic Analyses Of A Blackfly Subgenus Simulium (Nevermannia) Based On Mitochondrial 16s Ribosomal RNA Gene Sequences

Abstract

Nucleotide sequences of a subregion of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene of 10 species of a blackfly subgenus Simulium (Nevermannia), which include four species of feuerborni species-group, two species of ruficorne species-group, three species of vernum species-group and an ungrouped species (S. konoi), were determined. Phylogenetic analyses of the sequences of the Nevermannia species and other species of related subgenera of Simulium s.l. showed that the feuerborni and vernum species-groups were closely related, but the ruficorne species-group and S. konoi were not. Variations between the ruficorne species-group and other Nevermannia species were larger than those between Nevermannia species (excluding the ruficorne species-group) and other subgenera species. These molecular data suggest that revision of the definition of the subgenus Nevermannia is needed. Key words: Black fly, Simulium, Nevermannia, Phylogeny, Mitochondrial rRNA