Mitochondrial DNA characterization of five species of Plebeia (Apidae: Meliponini): RFLP and restriction maps

(Received 15 September 2000; revised 12 March 2001; accepted 30 March 2001)

Abstract
The present work characterized the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of five species of Plebeia ( Plebeia droryana , P. emerina, P. remota, P. saiqui and P. sp.) and generate a data set to be used in further populational, phylogenetic, and biogeographic studies. The mtDNA of each species was analyzed using 17 restriction enzymes and restriction maps were built. A high level of interspecific variability was found. The total size of the mtDNA was estimated to be 18500 bp. Through a combination of PCR and examination of restriction fragment length polymorphism, the locations of 14 of the main mitochondrial genes were located on restriction maps. We verified a gene order identical to Apis mellifera .