Somatic Chromosomes of Higher Diptera: Ii. Differentiation of Sarcophagid Species

Abstract

The somatic chromosome complements of nine sarcophagid species are described using methods presented in the first paper of this series. These species are Acridiophaga aculeata, Kellymyia kellyi, Protodexia australis, P. hunteri, Pseudosarcophaga affinis, Sarcophaga aldrichi, S. cooleyi, Sarcophaga "H", and S. reversa. P. affinis has 19 or 20 chromosomes whereas all the others have 12-chromosome complements most of which can be distinguished.

Cytogenetics of the neotropical flesh fly Pattonela intermutans (Diptera, Sarcophagidae)

“…In agreement with reports (Boyes, 1953(Boyes, , 1963 for the subfamily Sarcophaginae (Helicobia sp., Helicobia rapax, Neobelliera bullata, Sarcophaga carnaria and Sarcophaga exuberans, among others) there was little difference in the relative lengths and arm ratios among the autosomes. This feature was first noted by Boyes and Van Brink (1965), Kaul et al (1978) and Gaur et al (1984).…”

“…Previous studies of the karyotypes in this family (Metz, 1916;Boyes, 1953Boyes, , 1963Kaul et al, 1978) have shown that the size of the sex chromosomes varies considerably among species, as also occurs for other dipteran groups (Boyes and Boyes, 1975;Kaul and Tewari, 1979; Parise, P.P.M., unpublished data). The results of our analysis of the karyotype of P. intermutans fit this pattern of autosomal and sex chromosomic organization.…”

“…Only Pseudosarcophaga affinis is exceptional in having 2n = 19/20 and chromosomes of unusual morphology (Boyes, 1953). Figure 6 shows an allocyclic behavior for heterochromatic chromosomes.…”

“…Previous investigations on the karyotype of some species of Sarcophagidae have revealed that the size of their sex chromosomes varies greatly from species to species (Stevens, 1908;Metz, 1916Metz, , 1922Keneuke, 1924;Boyes, 1953Boyes, , 1963Boyes and Van Brink, 1965;Kaul et al, 1978;Tewari et al, 1983). In contrast, the gross morphology of the autosomes is rather uniform throughout the family.…”

Chromosomes of Richardiidae, Otitidae and Platystomatidae (Diptera: Acalyptratae)

“…It seems clear that at least two other families of Acalyptrate Diptera have achieved a high degree of stability at the 2n = 12 chromosome number level whereas families such as the Drosophilidae, Otitidae and Platystomatidae have less stable chromosome numbers with a marked tendency toward reduced numbers. Since the great majority of the Calyptrate Diptera have 2n ~--12 chromosomes (BOYES 1953(BOYES , 1954(BOYES , 1961(BOYES , 1963(BOYES , 1964a(BOYES , 1964b(BOYES , 1967BOYES& WILKES 1953;BOLES, COREY• PATERSON, 1964, BOYES t~ VAN BRINK, 1965 it is perhaps permissible to suggest that the Sciomyzidae and Tephritidae may be closer to the main line of evolutionary origin of Calyptrate Diptera than are such families as the Otitidae, Platystomatidae and Drosophilidae. Also it is rapidly becoming clear that a 2n ~-12 karyotype having a short telocentric and heteromorphic sex pair, together with five meta-to submetacentric autosomal pairs, is a common karyological feature of the Acalyptrate and Calyptrate Diptera and could be the basic (primitive) karyotype in such Diptera.…”