CYTOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR DIFFERENCES IN THE CEROGLOSSUS-CHILENSIS SPECIES COMPLEX (COLEOPTERA, CARABIDAE)

Three sympatric forms have been found within the morphospecies Ceroglo ssus chilensis Esch. through karyotype analysis and characterization o f repetitive DNA families. The male chromosome number of these forms i s 2n = 28 + XY (form A), 2n = 40 + XY (form B), and 2n = 38 + trivalen t (form C). Restriction enzyme analysis of total genomic DNA of form B using EcoRI produces several conspicuous bands corresponding to monom ers and dimers of two repetitive DNA families, of about 575 bp and 200 bp respectively; form C has, after total digestion, only one band of 625 bp corresponding to the monomer of a different repetitive DNA fami ly; and form A has no conspicuous band after this treatment. In situ h ybridization experiments show that repetitive DNAs are specific for ea ch form and no crossed hybridization is observed. The results suggest that these Ceroglossus forms are actually a complex of sibling species evolving as separate evolutionary and phylogenetic units, whose chara cterization at the morphological, ecological and geographical levels s hould be the subject of further investigation.