Variability in the karyotypes, testes and ovaries of planthoppers of the families Issidae, Caliscelidae, and Acanaloniidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea)

Anna Maryańska-Nadachowska,Vladimir M Gnezdilov,Valentina G Kuznetsova,Sakis Drosopoulos

doi:10.14411/eje.2006.066

Abstract

The aim of this study was to obtain information on the karyotypes, testes and ovaries of three fulgoroid families, mainly in the Issidae but also in the Caliscelidae and Acanaloniidae. For the Issidae, the data is for 19 species belonging to 11 genera of the subtribes Issina (2 species, 1 genus), Hysteropterina (14 species, 9 genera) and Agalmatiina (3 species, 2 genera) of the tribe Issini. The male karyotypes are shown to be quite uniform across the tribe, with 2n = 26 + X in all species studied except Latilica macu- lipes (Melichar, 1906) with 2n = 24 + X. The modal karyotype, 2n = 26 + X, matches the most probable ancestral state in the Fulgor- oidea. In the majority of cases the number of seminal follicles in males and ovarioles in females are stable within but fairly variable among the species, the modal value of the follicle number is 10 per testis. Contrary to what might be expected from other fulgoroid families, such as the Dictyopharidae and Delphacidae, the variability in these characters revealed neither regular trends nor evident correspondence with the taxonomy of Issidae. In the Caliscelidae, all species studied had testes consisting of 6 follicles each and karyotypes of 2n = 24 + X and 26 + XY, respectively, in 3 and 1 species. The only representative studied of the Acanaloniidae, Aca- nalonia bivittata (Say, 1825), had 2n = 24 + X and 13 follicles in its testis. The variability in all the characters investigated is dis- cussed and compared to other fulgoroid families, primarily to the most extensively studied families, Delphacidae and Dictyopharidae.

Highlights

The Auchenorrhyncha possess holokinetic chromosomes, which are generally accepted to facilitate karyotype evolution through fragmentation or fusion of chromosomes
The issid species examined in this study all belong to the tribe Issini
The diploid chromosome numbers and sex-chromosome systems are found to be highly uniform across the tribe, with 2n = 27 (26 + X) in males, with the exception of Latilica maculipes, which has 2n = 25 (24 + X)

Summary

Introduction

The Auchenorrhyncha possess holokinetic chromosomes, which are generally accepted to facilitate karyotype evolution through fragmentation or fusion of chromosomes. The chromosome numbers (of 181 species from 114 genera and 15 families; Kuznetsova et al, 1998) in the superfamily Fulgoroidea remain within reasonably narrow limits from 19 (X0) to 37 (X0) in males, each of these numbers occurring only in one and two species, respectively, the overwhelming majority of the species have 2n = 26 (XY), 27 (X0) and 29 (X0), with the latter predominating (Halkka, 1959; Kirillova, 1986; Emeljanov & Kirillova, 1991; Kuznetsova et al, 1998) These values are greatly skewed towards the families Dictyopharidae and Delphacidae, with over 120 karyotyped species (Kuznetsova, 1985; Kirillova, 1991). For all other families (e.g. Cixiidae – 12 species; Derbidae – 12 species; Achilidae – 20 species; Flatidae – 16 species) the data are fragmentary or absent (Achilixiidae and Kinnaridae)

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Conclusion