Microgeographic variation in rDNA intergenic spacers of Anopheles gambiae in western Kenya

The genetic population structure of Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) in western Kenya was investigated by hybridizing a rapidly evolving rDNA intergenic spacer sequence to restriction endonuclease digests of genomic DNA extracted from single mosquitoes from seven localities. Significantly different distributions of restriction fragment arrays were obtained from field sites less than 10 km apart, which suggests restricted gene flow and a subdivided population structure. Eight of twenty-one possible comparisons between pairs of populations yielded significant differences. An eastern Kenya coastal population did not share its restriction fragment arrays with any of the western populations, suggesting that isolation by distance can be complete on a relatively small geographic scale (700 km).