The paper is a third part of the themed issue “Aberrant cytogenetic and reproductive patterns in the evolution of Paraneoptera”, prepared by a Russian-Bulgarian research team on the basis of long-term collaborative studies. This chapter reviews different peculiar aberrations in the ontogenesis of Paraneoptera, such as the appearance of the quiescent apodal and/or arostrate instars, exuviatrial, pupillarial

This article is a second part of the themed issue “Aberrant cytogenetic and reproductive patterns in the evolution of Paraneoptera insects”, prepared by the Russian-Bulgarian research team. Here, analysis of aberrations related to the egg development is provided based on literature data and the author’s own investigations. Evolutionary aspects of ovoviviparity/viviparity are also briefly discussed

This paper opens the themed issue (a monograph) “Aberrant cytogenetic and reproductive patterns in the evolution of Paraneoptera”, prepared by a Russian-Bulgarian research team on the basis of long-term collaborative studies. In this first part of the issue, we provide the basic introductory information, describe the material involved and the methods applied, and give terminology and nomenclature of

The species of the Melitaea ala Staudinger, 1881 complex are distributed in Central Asia. Here we show that this complex is a monophyletic group including the species, M. ala, M. kotshubeji Sheljuzhko, 1929 and M. enarea Fruhstorfer, 1917. The haploid chromosome number n=29 is found in M. ala and M. kotshubeji and is, most likely, a symplesiomorphy of the M. ala complex. We show that M. ala consists

A molecular genetic and karyological study of the frog sculpin Myoxocephalus stelleri Tilesius, 1811 was carried out on an extensive sample from a large area of the species’ range. A total of 42 specimens was sampled from the Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, and coastal waters off the southern Kuril Islands, which makes this sampling scheme the most comprehensive to date. The level of mtDNA polymorphism

Chromosomes of two species of the tribe Aylacini (Cynipidae), Isocolus jaceae (Schenck, 1863) and I. scabiosae (Giraud, 1859) (both have 2n = 18) were studied for the first time. In addition, 2n = 20 is confirmed in a member of the same tribe, Aulacidea hieracii (Bouché, 1834). All chromosomes of these gall wasps are biarmed; however, they gradually decrease in size in the case of A. hieracii, whereas

Analysis of the frequency of karyotypes and chromosomal rearrangements in the distributional ranges of four metacentric races of Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758 has revealed features that are not typical for polymorphic populations of this species. The frequency of the acrocentric karyotype and heterozygotes for fusion of acrocentric chromosomes turned out to be significantly higher than expected in case

Chironomus sokolovae Istomina, Kiknadze et Siirin, 1999 (Diptera, Chironomidae) is recorded from Mongolia for the first time. Eleven banding sequences determined in the Mongolian population were previously known from Altai and Yenisei populations: sokA1, sokB1, sokB2, sokC1, sokC2, sokD1, sokD2, sokE1, sokF1, sokF2 and sokG1. The additional B-chromosomes are absent. DNA-barcoding of COI gene was carried

Eight taxa of Sorbus Linnaeus, 1753 sensu stricto (Rosaceae) from China have been studied karyologically through chromosome counting, chromosomal measurement and karyotype symmetry. Genome size was also estimated by flow cytometry. Six taxa, S. amabilis Cheng ex T.T.Yu et K.C.Kuan, 1963, S. hupehensis var. paucijuga (D.K. Zang et P.C. Huang, 1992) L.T. Lu, 2000, S. koehneana C.K. Schneider, 1906, S

Karyotypes of four catfishes of the genus Mystus Scopoli, 1777 (family Bagridae), M. atrifasciatus Fowler, 1937, M. mysticetus Roberts, 1992, M. singaringan (Bleeker, 1846) and M. wolffii (Bleeker, 1851), were analysed by conventional and Ag-NOR banding as well as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques. Microsatellite d(GC)15, d(CAA)10, d(CAT)10 and d(GAA)10 repeat probes were applied

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea Linnaeus, 1753) is an ideal material for studying molecular mechanisms of early-stage sex chromosome evolution in dioecious plants. Degenerate oligonucleotide-primed polymerase chain reaction (DOP-PCR) technique facilitates the retrotransposon-relevant studies by enriching specific repetitive DNA sequences from a micro-dissected single chromosome. We conducted genomic subtractive

Dermanura Gervais, 1856 is represented by small frugivorous bats of the Stenodermatinae subfamily. The taxonomy of this group presents controversies and has been subject to changes, especially since the morphological characters evaluated have left gaps that are difficult to fill regarding good species characterization. Previous studies performed in Dermanura cinerea Gervais, 1856 found that the karyotype

Melipona Illiger, 1806 is represented by 74 known species of stingless bees, distributed throughout the Neotropical region. Cytogenetically it is the most studied stingless bee genus of the tribe Meliponini. Member species are divided in two groups based on the volume of heterochromatin. This study aim was to analyze the composition and organization of chromatin of the stingless bee subspecies Melipona

Recent phylogenetic hypotheses within Anostomidae, based on morphological and molecular data, resulted in the description of new genera (Megaleporinus Ramirez, Birindelli et Galetti, 2017) and the synonymization of others, such as the reallocation of Leporinus copelandii Steindachner, 1875 and Leporinus steindachneri Eigenmann, 1907 to Hypomasticus Borodin, 1929. Despite high levels of conservatism

The aim of this study is to produce G-banded karyotypes of three dolphin species, Tursiops truncatus Montagu, 1821, Tursiops australisCharlton-Robb et al., 2011, and Grampus griseus Cuvier, 1812, and to determine if any differences between the species can be observed. Monolayer skin cultures were established and processed for chromosome study by trypsin banding. The results indicate that the three

Studies of chromosomes of Cyrtodactylus jarujini Ulber, 1993 and C. doisuthep Kunya et al., 2014 to compare microsatellite and TTAGGG sequences by classical and molecular techniques were conducted in Thailand. Karyological typing from a conventional staining technique of C. jarujini and C. doisuthep showed diploid chromosome numbers of 40 and 34 while the Fundamental Numbers (NF) were 56 in both species

The West European species of Boreonectes Angus, 2010 are reviewed. B. multilineatus (Falkenström, 1922) is shown to be widely distributed in the Pyrenees, where it is the only species known to occur. The chromosomes of all five west European species are found to have, in addition their different numbers of chromosomes, differences in the number and locations of secondary constrictions, and in some

The Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) damone (Eversmann, 1841) species complex comprises from 5 to 8 species distributed in southeastern Europe and southern Siberia. Here we used chromosomal and DNA-barcode markers in order to test the taxonomic hypotheses previously suggested for this complex. We revealed that all taxa within this group demonstrate chromosomal stasis and share the same or very similar haploid

Astyanax Baird et Girard, 1854, is one of the largest genera in the family Characidae and comprises 177 valid species. This genus has been the focus of cytogenetic studies primarily owing to the presence of B chromosomes and high karyotypic diversity among different populations. The intense genetic variability in Astyanax is one of the factors responsible for the occurrence of species complexes, which

A combined approach based on karyology and DNA taxonomy allowed us to characterize the taxonomic peculiarities in 10 Mesoamerican lizard species, belonging to six genera and five families, inhabiting two Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas, Mexico: La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve, and Montes Azules Biosphere. The karyotypes of four species, Phyllodactylus sp. 3 (P. tuberculosus species group) (2n = 38), Holcosus

Three species of ornamental fishes in the subfamily Cyprininae (family Cyprinidae) namely, Epalzeorhynchos frenatum (Fowler, 1934), Puntigrus partipentazona (Fowler, 1934), Scaphognathops bandanensis Boonyaratpalin et Srirungroj, 1971 were studied by classical cytogenetic and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques. Chromosomes were directly prepared from kidney tissues and stained by using

The paper briefly discusses the most impressive examples of the Nikolai Vavilov’s “Law of homologous series” in the evolution of one of the largest animal groups, homopterous insects, which comprise about 65,000 recent species in the world fauna. Different taxonomic and phylogenetic characters (morpho-anatomical, cytogenetic, reproductive and others) are considered at the taxonomic ranks of the order

In this paper, we present new cytogenetic data for three species of the family Pentatomidae: Dichelops melacanthus (Dallas, 1851), Loxa viridis (Palisot de Beauvois, 1805), and Edessa collaris (Dallas, 1851). All studied species presented holocentric chromosomes and inverted meiosis for the sex chromosomes. D. melacanthus has 2n = 12 (10A + XY); L. viridis showed 2n = 14 (12A + XY); and E. collaris

Chromosomal and molecular analyses of rapidly evolving organisms such as Polyommatus Latreille, 1804 blue butterflies are essential for understanding their taxonomy and evolutionary history, and the studies of populations from their type localities are crucially important for resolving problems of nomenclature and species identity. Here we present data on the topotypical population of the blue butterfly

For the first time, cytogenetic features of grasshoppers from Iran have been studied. In this paper we conducted a comparative cytogenetic analysis of six species from the family Pamphagidae. The species studied belong to subfamilies Thrinchinae Stål, 1876 (Eremopeza bicoloripes (Moritz, 1928), E. saussurei (Uvarov, 1918)) and Pamphaginae (Saxetania paramonovi (Dirsh, 1927), Tropidauchen escalerai

The karyotypes of four species of Cleridae (Coleoptera): Trichodes favarius (Illiger, 1802), Trichodes quadriguttatus Adams, 1817, Trichodes reichei (Mulsant et Rey, 1863), and Tilloidea transversalis (Charpentier, 1825) were reported for the first time with this study. The chromosome numbers of these four species were determined as 2n = 18, sex chromosome system Xyp, and all chromosomes were metacentric

The ancient insect order Odonata is divided into three suborders: Anisoptera and Zygoptera with approximately 3000 species worldwide each, and Anisozygoptera with only four extant species in the relict family Epiophlebiidae. An updated list of Odonata species studied regarding chromosome number, sex chromosome mechanism and the occurrence of m-chromosomes (= microchromosomes) is given. Karyotypes of

The karyotypes of four species of Cleridae (Coleoptera): Trichodes favarius (Illiger, 1802), Trichodes quadriguttatus Adams, 1817, Trichodes reichei (Mulsant et Rey, 1863), and Tilloidea transversalis (Charpentier, 1825) were reported for the first time with this study. The chromosome numbers of these four species were determined as 2n = 18, sex chromosome system Xyp, and all chromosomes were metacentric

The DNA-barcoding and chromosomal study of the eastern water bat, Myotis petax Hollister, 1912, from the earlier unexplored localities in the Russian Far East are carried out. The COI barcoding obtained for 18 from a total of 19 individuals captured in five localities in the Russian Far East showed the low nucleotide variability with the prevalence of the central, the most abundant haplotype. The chromosomal

The assembly of the microtubule-based spindle structure in plant meiosis remains poorly understood compared with our knowledge of mitotic spindle formation. One of the approaches in our understanding of microtubule dynamics is to study spindle assembly in meiosis of amphyhaploids. Using immunostaining with phH3Ser10, CENH3 and α-tubulin-specific antibodies, we studied the chromosome distribution and

Cytogenetic data for the genus Cichla Bloch et Schneider, 1801 are still very limited, with only four karyotype descriptions to date. The sum of the available cytogenetic information for Cichla species, points to a maintenance of the diploid number of 48 acrocentric chromosomes, considered a typical ancestral feature in cichlids. In the current study, we performed molecular and classical cytogenetic

Gonatoxia helleri Hemp, 2016 is one of the most widespread bush-crickets of the genus Gonatoxia Karsch, 1889 in East Africa. This species with seven large chromosomes (2n♂ = 7) differs from other representatives of the genus Gonatoxia drastically by its reduced chromosome number, the asymmetrical karyotype including karyomorphs rarely found in tettigoniids, as well as in irregularities in the course

An overview of the current knowledge of chromosome sets of the parasitoid superfamily Chalcidoidea is given. Karyotypes of approximately 240 members of this group, i.e. just above one percent of described species, are studied up to now. Techniques for obtaining and analyzing preparations of chalcid chromosomes are outlined, including the so-called “traditional” and “modern” methods of differential

The elephantfish family Mormyridae is the most diverse lineage of the primitive teleostean clade Osteoglossomorpha distributed in inland waters of all continents except Antarctica and Europe. The family Mormyridae is endemic to Africa and includes 22 genera and almost 230 species. The evolutionary radiation of mormyrids most probably should be attributed to their capability of both generating and receiving

Telomeric sequences are conserved across species. The most common sequence reported among insects is (TTAGG)n, but its universal occurrence is not a consensus because other canonical motifs have been reported. In the present study, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using telomeric probes with (TTAGG)6 repeats to describe the telomere composition of leafcutter ants. We performed the

Cytogenetic features of the hangingfly Bittacus sinicus Issiki, 1931 were investigated for the first time using C-banding and DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. The karyotype analyses show that the male B. sinicus possesses the lowest chromosome number (2n = 15) ever observed in Mecoptera, and an almost symmetric karyotype with MCA (Mean Centromeric Asymmetry) of 12.55 and CVCL (Coefficient

Fourteen species of scale insects from the families Margarodidae s.l., Pseudococcidae, Eriococcidae, and Coccidae were investigated for the first time in respect to karyotypes, genetic systems, modes of reproduction and general anatomy of the female reproductive system. One of the studied species, Steatococcus samaraius Morrison, 1927, showed hermaphroditic reproduction of the female-like specimens

Seriolella violacea Guichenot, 1848 is an important component of the fish fauna of the Chilean coast and is of great economic interest. Cytogenetic information for the family Centrolophidae is lacking and the genomic size of five of the twenty-eight species described for this family are is barely known. This study aimed to describe for the first time the karyotype structure via classical and molecular

This paper is a review of the rare phenomenon of chromosome intraspecies variation manifested in monobrachial homology series in the comprehensively investigated karyotype of the common shrew Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758 (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia). The detailed dataset on the account of this mammalian species was drawn from the recently published monograph by Searle et al. (2019) “Shrews, Chromosomes

The centromere is a chromosomal region where the kinetochore is formed, which is the attachment point of spindle fibers. Thus, it is responsible for the correct chromosome segregation during cell division. Telomeres protect chromosome ends against enzymatic degradation and fusions, and localize chromosomes in the cell nucleus. For this reason, centromeres and telomeres are parts of each linear chromosome

To extend our knowledge on karyotype variation of the genus Vigna Savi, 1824, the chromosomal organization of rRNA genes and fluorochrome banding patterns of five wild Vigna species were studied. Sequential combined PI (propidium iodide) and DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) (CPD) staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 5S and 45S rDNA probes were used to analyze the karyotypes

Astyanax Baird et Girard, 1854, is one of the largest genera in the family Characidae and comprises 177 valid species. This genus has been the focus of cytogenetic studies primarily owing to the presence of B chromosomes and high karyotypic diversity among different populations. The intense genetic variability in Astyanax is one of the factors responsible for the occurrence of species complexes, which

Autotetraploidy, both natural and/or induced, has potential for genetic improvement of various crop species including that of medicinal importance. Tinospora cordifolia (Willdenow, 1806) Miers, 1851 ex Hooker et Thomson, 1855 and T. sinensis (Loureiro, 1790) Merrill, 1934 are two diploid species, which are dioecious, deciduous and climbing shrubs with high medicinal importance. Among the three methods

Comparative cytogenetic analyses are being increasingly used to collect information on species evolution, for example, diversification of closely related lineages and identification of morphologically indistinguishable species or lineages. Here, we have described the karyotype of the fungus-farming ant Mycetomoellerius iheringi Emery, 1888 and investigated its evolutionary relationships on the basis

Telomeres are structures enriched in repetitive sequences at the end of chromosomes. In this study, using the telomere primer AA(CCCTAAA)3CCC for the single primer PCR, two DNA sequences were obtained from Gossypium hirsutum (Linnaeus, 1753) accession (acc.) TM-1. Sequence analysis showed that the two obtained sequences were all rich in A/T base, which was consistent with the characteristic of the

A cytogenetic analysis of sixteen taxa of the genus Aeschynomene Linnaeus, 1753, which includes species belonging to both subgenera Aeschynomene (Léonard, 1954) and Ochopodium (Vogel, 1838) J. Léonard, 1954, was performed. All studied species had the same chromosome number (2n = 20) but exhibited karyotype diversity originating in different combinations of metacentric, submetacentric and subtelocentric

We report the karyotype, some aspects of spermatogenesis, and ovarian trophocytes ploidy in three aquatic bug species: Ilyocoris cimicoides (Linnaeus, 1758), Notonecta glauca Linnaeus, 1758, and Diplonychus rusticus Fabricius, 1871 from previously unexplored regions – South Europe (Bulgaria) and Southeast Asia (Vietnam). Our results add considerable support for the published karyotype data for these

The data on the changes in the cytogenetic structure of the geographic population of Korean field mouse Apodemus (Alsomys) peninsulae Thomas, 1907 at the southern shore of the Teletskoye Lake (Altai Republic) are presented. In 1980 no dot-like microchromosomes were found in 34 mice captured on the southern and northern coasts of the Teletskoye Lake. In 2011, a 1.6-fold (from 2.7 to 4.3) increase in

Spiders represent one of the most studied arachnid orders. They are particularly intriguing from a cytogenetic point of view, due to their complex and dynamic sex chromosome determination systems. Despite intensive research on this group, cytogenetic data from African spiders are still mostly lacking. In this study, we describe the karyotypes of 38 species of spiders belonging to 16 entelegyne families

Wild cotton species are an important source of desirable genes for genetic improvement of cultivated cotton Gossypium hirsutum Linnaeus, 1763. For the success of such an improvement, chromosome pairings and recombinations in hybrids are fundamental. The wild African species G. longicalyx Hutchinson & Lee, 1958 could be used as donor of the desirable trait of fiber fineness. Twelve BC1 plants obtained

South American frogs of the genus Eupsophus Fitzinger, 1843 comprise 10 species. Two of them, Eupsophus vertebralis Grandison, 1961 and E. emiliopugini Formas, 1989 belong to the Eupsophus vertebralis group, exhibiting 2n = 28. Fundamental number differences between these species have been described using conventional chromosome staining of few specimens from only two localities. Here, classical techniques

Ants play essential roles in most terrestrial ecosystems and may be considered pests for agriculture and agroforestry. Recent morphological and molecular data have challenged conventional ant phylogeny and the interpretation of karyotypic variations. Existing Neotropical ant cytogenetic data focus on Atlantic rainforest species, and provide evolutionary and taxonomic insight. However, there are data

The karyotypes and chromosomal characteristics of three Acestrorhynchus Eigenmann et Kennedy, 1903 species were examined using conventional and molecular protocols. These species had invariably a diploid chromosome number 2n = 50. Acestrorhynchus falcatus (Block, 1794) and Acestrorhynchus falcirostris (Cuvier, 1819) had the karyotype composed of 16 metacentric (m) + 28 submetacentric (sm) + 6 subtelocentric

Gagnepainia godefroyi K. Schumann, 1904 and G. harmandii K. Schumann, 1904 belong to the genus Gagnepainia K. Schumann, 1904 of the Ginger family. They have the potential to be developed as medicinal and attractive ornamental plants. To date, the knowledge on the cytological and reproductive aspects of Gagnepainia have not been publicly available. Therefore, the aims of this research are to investigate

The chromosomes of triploid parthenogenetic Helophorus orientalis Motschulsky, 1860 are described from material from two localities in Heilongjiang, China. 3n = 33. All the chromosomes have clear centromeric C-bands, and in the longest chromosome one replicate appears to be consistently longer than the other two. The chromosomes of additional triploid parthenogenetic H. brevipalpis Bedel, 1881, from

Chromosomal data are important for taxonomists, cytogeneticists and evolutionary biologists; however, the value of these data decreases sharply if they are obtained for individuals with inaccurate species identification or unclear species identity. To avoid this problem, here we suggest linking each karyotyped sample with its DNA barcode, photograph and precise geographic data, providing an opportunity

Alloploidization resulting from remote (interspecific or intergeneric) hybridization is one of the main factors in plant evolution, leading to the formation of new species. Triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack, 1889) is the first artificial species created by crossing wheat (Triticum spp.) and rye (Secale cereale Linnaeus, 1753) and has a great potential as a grain and forage crop. Remote hybridization

In the present study, we analyzed individuals of Hypostomus soniae (Loricariidae) collected from the Teles Pires River, southern Amazon basin, Brazil. Hypostomus soniae has a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 64 and a karyotype composed of 12 metacentric (m), 22 submetacentric (sm), 14 subtelocentric (st), and 16 acrocentric (a) chromosomes, with a structural difference between the chromosomes of the

Repetitive DNAs are the main components of eukaryotic genome. We mapped the 18S rDNA and TTAGG telomeric probe sequences by FISH to meiotic chromosomes of eight species of the order Psocoptera considered a basal taxon of Paraneoptera: Valenzuela burmeisteri (Brauer, 1876), Stenopsocus lachlani Kolbe, 1960, Graphopsocus cruciatus (Linnaeus, 1768), Peripsocus phaeopterus (Stephens, 1836), Philotarsus