Abstract
Cyanolicimex (Haematosiphoninae) includes a single species, C. patagonicus, which is found in the largest known colony of its avian host Cyanoliseus patagonus (Psittacidae) located in Patagonia (Argentina). Relationships between Cyanolicimex and other genera of Haematosiphoninae are still unclear because this genus shares some characters with other South American genera and possesses some similarities with Hesperocimex from the Neoarctic region. The aim of the present study was to provide additional data of C. patagonicus so as to better understand its relationships with other South American species. We examined some biological features of C. patagonicus in the field and we performed a cytogenetic analysis. We observed in the field that C. patagonicus does not live inside the hollow nests of Cyanoliseus patagonus. The cytogenetic analysis showed that the male karyotype is 2n= 31= 28A+X1X2Y and revealed an achiasmate male meiosis and of the collochore type. Our results together with available cytogenetic data in other cimicids, allow proposing the possible chromosomal rearrangements involved in the chromosomal evolution of C. patagonicus and also contribute to better understand the evolutionary divergence at the chromosomal level within Haematosiphoninae. Based on the whole evidence, we propose to place in four groups the species of Haematosiphoninae cytogenetically hitherto studied.
Highlights
The Cimicidae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) are wingless blood-sucking ectoparasites of warmblooded animals, including birds and bats as primary hosts and humans as secondary hosts, which require transport by their hosts for dispersal (Usinger 1966, Henry 2009, Resh & Gardé 2009, Potter 2011, Di Iorio 2012)
Specimens of C. patagonicus were observed actively walking on the wall of the cliff, most probably searching for food, while the crevices were not occupied by C. patagonus
All specimens of C. patagonicus were found hidden in the crevices during the day and some of them were seen walking on the wall of the cliff in the afternoon, probably in search for food in hollow nests with nestlings and/or adult parrots
Summary
The Cimicidae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) are wingless blood-sucking ectoparasites of warmblooded animals, including birds and bats as primary hosts and humans as secondary hosts, which require transport by their hosts for dispersal (Usinger 1966, Henry 2009, Resh & Gardé 2009, Potter 2011, Di Iorio 2012). Regarding the similarities with Hesperocimex, in Hesperocimex, the pronotum has very long bristles at the lateral margins, the posterolateral angles of the pronotum are rounded, and the apical tufts of hairs are absent in the front and middle tibiae of the females (Usinger 1966) As it is typical in Hemiptera, cimicids have holocentric chromosomes (Ueshima 1966, 1979 , Manna 1984, Mola & Papeschi 2006, Papeschi & Bressa 2006, Poggio et al 2009, 2014, Grozeva et al 2010, 2011, 2014, Sadílek et al 2013). Among the great variety of multiple sex chromosome systems described so far, the prevailing one in these species is X1X2Y/X1X1X2X2 (Ryckman & Ueshima 1964, Ueshima 1966, 1979, Manna 1984, Grozeva & Nokkala 2002, Poggio et al 2009, Grozeva et al 2010, Kuznetsova et al 2011, Sadílek et al 2013)
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