Evolutionary Relationships of the Hawaiian and North American Telmatogeton (Insecta; Diptera: Chironomidae)

Abstract

Species of Telmatogeton and the closely related genus Paraclunio generally live on the rocky shores of the intertidal zone. Species of Telmatogeton have evolved from the marine environment into torrential freshwater streams of the Hawaiian Islands . An analysis of the banding sequences of the polytene chromosomes of species of Telmatogeton and Paraclunio from the Hawaiian Islands and North America suggests that there were at least two separate invasions from the marine to freshwater environments. One is through the marine species T. japonicus to an undescribed freshwater species found on east Maui . The other invasion requires a marine hypothetical species that gave rise to the Hawaiian freshwater species T. abnormis and T. torrenticola.