Sex chromosome pre-reduction in male meiosis of Lethocerus patruelis (Stål, 1854) (Heteroptera, Belostomatidae) with some notes on the distribution of the species

By

Grozeva, Snejana
Kuznetsova, Valentina G.
Simov, Nikolay
Langourov, Mario
Dalakchieva, Svetla

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2013

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

319

Pages

119-135

Subjects

Belostomatidae , Distribution , Heteroptera , karyotype , Lethocerus patruelis , male reproductive organs , Meiosis , NOR , sex chromosome pre-reduction

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.319.4384

 

Abstract

The karyotype and meiosis in males of giant water bug Lethocerus patruelis (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae: Lethocerinae) were studied using standard and fluorochrome (CMA3 and DAPI) staining of chromosomes. The species was shown to have 2n = 22A + 2m + XY where 2m are a pair of microchromosomes. NORs are located in X and Y chromosomes. Within Belostomatidae, L. patruelis is unique in showing sex chromosome pre-reduction in male meiosis, with the sex chromosomes undergoing reductional division at anaphase I and equational division at anaphase II. Cytogenetic data on the family Belostomatidae are summarized and compared. In addition, the structure of the male internal reproductive organs of L. patruelis is presented, the contemporary distribution of L. patruelis in Bulgaria and in the Northern Aegean Islands is discussed, and the first information about thebreeding and nymphal development of this species in Bulgaria is provided.