Interchange complexes in Italian populations of Reticulitermes lucifugus Rossi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract

In six Italian populations of the rhinotermitid Reticulitermes lucifugus there is a diploid complement of 2n=42 with no visible sex chromosome difference between male and female reproductives. The first male meiotic division in this species is, however, characterised by the presence of inter-change multiples. Thus males from three mainland colonies at Udine, Tombolo and Barberino, as well as a Sicilian colony (Polizzi), are regularly heterozygous for a single translocation chain (C) multiple of IV (2n=19II+ C IV). A fourth mainland colony (Squinzano) proved to be polymorphic. Here, three of the six males analysed regularly formed 21 bivalents; two further males had nineteen bivalents and a chain of four multiple while a sixth male had a predominance of meiocytes with 19 bivalents and a chain of four together with a small number of cells with 18 bivalents and a chain of six multiple. Finally a sixth colony from Sardinia (Sennori) was characterized by larger multiple configurations involving chains or rings of eight.