Enzyme polymorphism and genetic variability of one colonized and several field populations of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae)

The Alexandria laboratory colony and five field populations of Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) from Egypt were analyzed for genetic variation at 17 enzyme loci. The laboratory colony was characterized by a low level of genetic variation as measured by the average number of alleles per locus (A = 1.70 +/- 0.16) and the average expected heterozygosity (He = 0.06 +/- 0.02). Polymorphism was observed at 23.5% of the examined loci, and genotype frequencies at two loci (PGM, AK-2) were found to deviate slightly from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. In contrast, the average number of alleles per locus for field populations ranged from A = 2.35 +/- 0.20 to 2.76 +/- 0.10, and He ranged from 0.15 +/- 0.03 to 0.21 +/- 0.05. All loci of field populations exhibited polymorphism, ranging from 47.0% to 76.5%, and four to seven loci in each population were found to deviate from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Deviations in both colonized and field populations were caused by heterozygote deficiency. Despite geographic isolation and some individual deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, no evidence of significant genetic difference was obtained for any of the populations sampled. Calculated indices of genetic distance and genetic identity for the five field populations showed minor variation but were collectively representative of a single, genetically uniform population.