The Giemsa C-banding pattern of the chromosomes of five tetraploid species of Avena have been studied. The chromosomes of AABB species (A. barbata, A. vaviloviana, and A. abyssinica) had similar C-banding patterns to those of A genome species. AACC species (A. maroccana and A. murphyi) possessed two sets of seven chromosome pairs with C-banding patterns similar to those observed in the diploid A and C genome species. However, no good correspondence between either of these two chromosome groups and any one diploid species has been found. When the nucleolar organizer activity of the species was analysed by silver staining, fewer nucleoli and nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) were observed than expected, assuming complete additivity of those from the donor diploid species.Key words: C-banding, NOR, Avena, heterochromatin.

Giemsa C-banding was used to identify individual somatic chromosomes in eight diploid species of Avena. Two patterns of heterochromatin distribution were found. The chromosomes of five A genome species (A. strigosa, A. hirtula, A. longiglumis, A. damascena, and A. canariensis) possessed mainly telomeric bands, whereas those from three C genome species (A. clauda, A. pilosa, and A. ventricosa) were characterized by higher chromatin condensation and several intercalary heterochromatin bands. The divergent evolution between the two groups is confirmed after C-banding. The unique C-banding patterns of several chromosomes in each species will be a useful tool for the study of meiotic behaviour in interspecific hybrids among Avena spp.Key words: C-banding, Avena, heterochromatin.

Three species of grasshoppers have been analyzed by means of a modified silver impregnation technique that reveals the presence of a chromatid core that identifies chiasmata at first meiotic metaphase. In terms of the behaviour of the chromatid core most of the configurations observed at diplotene with orcein are easily recognized in metaphase I silver-stained bivalents. Some "hidden" configurations, as well as simple chromatin associations, that do not appear to represent chiasmata have also been detected. The disposition and behaviour of the chromatid cores in metaphase I and anaphase I provide grounds to support a reorganization of half-bivalents between first and second division. Key words: chromatid core, meiotic chromosome organization, chiasma formation, insect cytogenetics.

The Giemsa C-banding technique was used to identify individual meiotic and somatic chromosomes in 21 monosomic lines of Avena byzantina C. Koch cv 'Kanota' (genome designation AACCDD). The hexaploid complement is composed of three sets of seven chromosome pairs. The heterochromatin in the putative diploid progenitors is located at the telomeres (genome A), at the centromeric and interstitial regions (genome C), or more evenly spread throughout the set (genome D). Comparisons based on C-banding between A. byzantina and its diploid progenitor species allowed us to allocate individual chromosomes into specific genomes. The C-banding technique may be useful for interspecific chromosome pairing analyses. Nucleolar activity and competition were studied using a silver-staining procedure. Only three chromosome pairs showed nucleolar organizer regions, thus indicating that nucleolar competition occurs naturally in hexaploid oats.

Summary Two grasshopper subspecies, Chorthippus parallelus parallelus (Cpp) and Chorthippus parallelus erythropus (Cpe), meet along the Pyrenees where they hybridize and produce a hybrid zone. A contact zone located in the Col de Portalet has been analyzed for the distribution of chromosome markers on the sex (X) chromosome in pure and hybrid populations. C‐banding allowed us to distinguish both pure subspecific forms and recombinant forms, and to demonstrate their different frequencies through the contact zone. Interestingly, the distal C‐band (P) on the X chromosome that characterizes Cpp individuals occurs at very high frequency through the zone and then drops sharply, close to where pure Cpe populations are found. A novel interstitial C‐band (H) has been found, probably derived from that characterizing Cpe individuals (E). This marker band is only present in hybrid populations. These data are discussed in the light of the dynamics of the hybrid zone.