Comparative cytogenetic study of three Macrolophus species (Heteroptera, Miridae)
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Author
Jauset, Ana Maria
Edo-Tena, Eva
Grozeva, Snejana
Publication date
2015-09-29ISSN
1993-0771
Abstract
Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur, 1839) (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae) is a predator of key vegetable crop pests applied as a biocontrol agent in the Mediterranean region. M. pygmaeus and M. melanotoma (A. Costa, 1853) are cryptic species with great morphological similarity which results in their misidentification and negative consequences for the conservation of their populations on greenhouse and outdoor crops. In order to find out specific markers for their separation we studied the karyotype, male meiosis and heterochromatin composition of these species and additionally of a third species (as a reference one), M. costalis Fieber, 1858. We demonstrate here that all the three species share achiasmate male meiosis and sex chromosome pre-reduction. On the other hand, the species differ in karyotype, with 2n=28 (26+XY) in M. pygmaeus, 2n=27 (24+X1X2Y) in M. costalis, and 2n=34 (32+XY) in M. melanotoma, and heterochromatin distribution and composition. In addition, the species differ in sperm morphology: sperm cells of M. costalis are significantly longer with longer head and tail than those of M. melanotoma and M. pygmaeus, whereas sperm cells of M. melanotoma have a longer tail than those of M. pygmaeus. All these characters can be used as markers to identify the species, in particular the cryptic species M. melanotoma and M. pygmaeus.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
632 - Plant damage, injuries. Plant diseases. Pests, organisms injurious to plants. Plant protection
Pages
11
Publisher
Pensoft Publishers
Is part of
Comparative Cytogenetics
Citation
Grozeva, Snejana, Ana Maria Jauset, Eva Edo-Tena, Cristina Castañé, Nuria Agustí, and Oscar Alomar. 2015. "Comparative Cytogenetic Study Of Three Macrolophus Species (Heteroptera, Miridae)". Comparative Cytogenetics 9 (4): 613-623. doi:10.3897/compcytogen.v9i4.5530.
Grant agreement number
MICINN/Programa Nacional de Proyectos de Investigación Fundamental/AGL2011‐24349/ES/Identificación y evaluación de depredadores y sus fuentes de colonización para favorecer el control biológico por conservación en cultivos hortícolas/
EC/FP7/229802/EU/Enhancing research potential by strengthening a local network of laboratories for studying wetland ecosystems functioning, restoration and management/WETLANET
Program
Protecció Vegetal Sostenible
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2555]
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