124 
of loci screened rather than on the number of 
individuals surveyed. Seven animals from each 
locality were used as this was the maximum 
number that could be run on a single gel, which is 
necessary if mobilities are to be compared. 
Twenty seven putative enzyme loci including 11 
polymorphic enzymes were surveyed using 
cellulose acetate electrophoresis (Cellogel, 
Chemtron, Italy). The enzymes studied are detailed 
in Table 1. 
Recipes for staining these enzymes can be found 
in Richardson et al. (1986) and Manchenko (1994). 
Four buffer systems were used (A) 0.05 M Tris- 
Maleate-EDTA-MgC12 pH 7.8, (B) 0.01 M Citrate- 
phosphate pH 6.4, (C) 0.025 M Tris-glycine-MgC12 
pH 8.5, (D) 0.05 M Tris-maleate pH 7.8 (see 
Richardson et al. 1986 for details). 
All 21 specimens were run on a single gel and 
mobilities compared. At each locus, putative alleles 
were labelled alphabetically in order of increasing 
electrophoretic mobility of their corresponding 
electromorphs. Allelic differentiation was 
quantified using pair-wise comparison within 
sample sets and among sample sets by the sum of 
similarities (0, different mobility, 1 same mobility). 
As the data is approximately normally distributed, 
the mean and standard error of all observations 
within and among regions were calculated to 
evaluate the level of divergence and, hence, species 
status. This simple statistic was used as the 
presence of null alleles at many loci (Yardin 
M.R. Yardin, B.J. Richardson 
unpublished) made any more complex analyses 
invalid. 
RESULTS 
The allelic profile of each individual is 
summarised in Table 2. Pair-wise comparisons at 
all loci were calculated and the results are 
tabulated in matrix form (Table 3). The means and 
standard deviation of similarities within and 
between localities are shown in Table 4. Because 
the values are not independent, simple parametric 
tests of similarity cannot be used. 
It is clear that the same suite of allelomorphs 
occur in all three population sets (Table 2) and that 
there is no greater differentiation between 
individuals from the same population than there is 
between individuals from different populations. 
Western Australian individuals shared 24.81 alleles 
on average while the average number of alleles 
they shared with Victoria and northern New South 
Wales were 24.69 and 25.41 respectively. There is 
no evidence of any divergence between the 
populations and therefore no evidence of 
speciation. 
DISCUSSION 
The electrophoretic comparisons within and 
among the three populations of A. trapezia did not 
provide any evidence of genetic divergence in this 
Table 3 Pair-wise comparison of individuals showing commonality of alleles within and among populations. 
Western Australia 
Victoria 
Northern New South Wales 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
1 
2 
3 
4 
WA 
1 
_ 
2 
26 
- 
3 
28 
26 
- 
4 
24 
23 
24 
- 
5 
24 
23 
23 
23 
- 
6 
23 
23 
23 
23 
28 
- 
7 
26 
26 
27 
26 
26 
26 
_ 
VIC 
1 
25 
25 
25 
25 
25 
25 
28 
- 
2 
25 
25 
24 
24 
23 
23 
26 
26 
- 
3 
24 
25 
23 
23 
25 
25 
26 
27 
25 
- 
4 
27 
25 
26 
23 
24 
22 
25 
25 
26 
24 
- 
5 
27 
26 
27 
24 
24 
24 
27 
28 
26 
26 
28 
- 
6 
24 
24 
24 
25 
23 
23 
26 
27 
25 
24 
24 
26 
- 
7 
24 
24 
24 
24 
24 
24 
27 
26 
24 
24 
25 
27 
28 
- 
Northern 
1 
25 
23 
24 
25 
22 
22 
25 
24 
24 
23 
24 
24 
23 
23 
- 
NSW 
2 
27 
25 
26 
25 
22 
22 
25 
24 
24 
24 
27 
27 
24 
25 
27 
- 
3 
26 
26 
28 
26 
25 
25 
29 
27 
26 
25 
26 
28 
25 
26 
26 
26 
- 
4 
27 
26 
27 
26 
25 
25 
28 
27 
27 
25 
26 
28 
27 
26 
27 
27 
28 
- 
5 
27 
27 
27 
25 
25 
25 
28 
28 
26 
25 
26 
28 
27 
26 
24 
26 
27 
28 
6 
26 
25 
26 
27 
24 
24 
26 
27 
25 
24 
25 
26 
27 
25 
25 
26 
26 
28 
7 
26 
26 
27 
24 
23 
23 
27 
25 
25 
24 
26 
26 
24 
24 
25 
26 
28 
27 
