CYTOTAXONOMY OF BOMBYLIIDAE (DIPTERA)

Abstract

The karyotypes of 34 species of Bombyliidae are described, some in greater detail than others. It is suggested that two subfamilies, the Bombyliinae (for Homoeophthalmae) and Anthracinae (for Tomophthalmae) be recognized. In the Bombyliinae, one species has 2n = 8, one 2n = 10, three 2n = 12 and one 2n = 14. In the Anthracinae, two species have 2n = 10, four 2n = 12, six 2n = 14, three 2n = 16 and thirteen 2n = 18. Seventeen complements of Bombyliinae averaged 41.4 μ in total complement length (TCL) and thirtyeight of Anthracinae averaged 46.6 μ; so the 55 complements of the Bombyliidae averaged 44.9 μ in TCL, the complements with lower chromosome numbers averaging less than those with higher numbers. Thus Bombyliinae species have lower chromosome numbers and shorter complements than Anthracinae species which tend to have longer metacentric sex chromosomes. Thus both morphologically and karyotypically the Bombyliinae appear to be more advanced whereas the Anthracinae are a more primitive but highly variable group of species.